The missing boy, Jojo Morales, was found safe after a stranger recognized him in Canada

A 6-year-old autistic boy who went missing has been found safe in Canada thanks to a tipster who saw him with his father at a Walmart, two months after he disappeared from Miami, police said.

Jorge “Jojo” Morales was initially reported missing by her mother, Yanet Leal Concepcion, on August 27 after her father violated her custody agreement by failing to return to her. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that he was found on Sunday in Moncton, New Brunswick.

“I’m so happy because my son is fine, I feared the worst,” Concepcion he told Local10. “Every mother fears the worst and I’m just… I can’t, my body is like leaving my soul. I’m so happy, I can’t stop.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children next shared that an informant recognized Jojo and his father, Jorge Gabriel Morales, at a Walmart in Moncton and alerted authorities.

Police suspected Jojo was in Maine or eastern Canada after a 2006 Ford Expedition driven by Jorge Morales was found in Maine in late September. The FBI later released surveillance footage from a Walgreens in nearby Houlton, which confirmed that Jojo was in Maine at some point.

Jorge Morales, 45, was arrested without incident, as was his mother, Lillian Pena Morales, 68. Both remain in police custody.

“This is another example of how local, state, federal and international law enforcement, along with the United States and State Attorney’s Offices are coming together for the safety of a child and will continue to work together to fight the greater evil,” Miami-Dade. Police Director Freddy Ramirez said in a statement.

Conception he told 7News that Jojo is relatively unaware of what happened to him.

“He asked me where I’ve been, because he doesn’t know, he’s not very aware of what’s going on,” he explained to the outlet, describing the moment he finally spoke with his son on the phone. “Luckily, it’s a blessing in disguise living with autism because I thought I was on vacation, and I told him the same thing.”

His own two-month ordeal, however, has been a nightmare, with “constant sadness … sleeping very little, having trouble eating, just constantly praying, constantly thinking that something bad was going to happen to him.”

Concepcion told 7News that she expects to be reunited with Jojo on Monday night or early Tuesday. He will be escorted to Florida by a Canadian social worker.

“We are forever grateful [for the person who called the police]”, he said. “It takes courage to say something, and I know that, and I hope they know that, thanks to that person, I will see my son again.”

Miami-Dade Police and the RCMP could not immediately be reached for comment.