It was a nervous 12 hours for mother Jody Coover. Police combed Christian Stewart's neighborhood for hours before he was found.
According to Coover, her son spent the night at a friend's house whom she had never met. The boy said he thought his mother knew where he was and that he didn't call home because his friend's family's phone was dead.
On Wednesday, Christian disappeared from the front yard of his home on the 500 block of West 12th Street around 6 p.m. Coover says her son allegedly rode his red BMX bicycle to a family friend's nearby home to get a haircut.
His mother reported Christian missing around 8:30 p.m. after checking on him and realizing he never returned.
Christian was found Thursday after Coover's friend went knocking on several doors in the neighborhood, looking for the young boy.
He, however, says he has since learned a lesson.
"If I'm going to spend the night at someone's house, I have to call my mom," said Christian.
Despite hugging him, Coover says her son is grounded until he goes to college.
"His bike isn't going anywhere," said Coover. "It's being locked up for good."
City News Service contributed to this report.
