TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A Tucson family is holding one of their own a little closer tonight.

Marcus Tessier, 13, went missing from his home near Grant and Fairview on Monday night or Tuesday morning. The teen, who is non-verbal and autistic, was found at a Walmart in Deming, New Mexico, late Tuesday.

How the teen made it more than 200 miles away is still a mystery. For now, all Marcus’ family cares about is that he is back home and safe.

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Renee Desmond, Marcus’ mother, said the hours her son was missing were the worst in her life. According to Renee, when she woke up on Tuesday Marcus was nowhere to be found.

“He took off walking and it was just really scary,” Renee said.

Renee said having a child disappear is something no mother should ever wake up to.

“When I couldn’t find him, I realized that he had gone out,” Renee said. “I was looking in the backyard and I couldn’t find him. I went to be a security camera and I was trying to find footage to see which way he went.”

Renee immediately called the police and began the search.

“Police got the bloodhound and they were able to track him down Alturas, down to Fairview, and down to Grant to the train tracks,” Renee said. “It just stopped there.”

While it’s a mystery how Marcus got to Deming, his aunt Helene Desmond has some theories.

“There is a possibility that he hopped on a train,” she said. “There is also a possibility that a semi or a driver was stopping to get Dunkin Donuts and saw a vulnerable person.”

The Deming Police Department told 13 News that its School Resource Officer was summonsed to the Mimbres Memorial Hospital to help identify a patient.

When the SRO was unable to identify the teenager, officials quickly reached out to the New Mexico State Police for help issuing an alert.

Through investigation, Marcus was identified. His mother was notified and drove to Deming to pick him up.

“We’re so lucky and blessed that he came back to us given the circumstances and the odds,” Renee said.

According to Helene, posting on social media helped in the search.

“We were all just so shocked and being able to take pictures and hug him and hold him,” she said. “It was just a very special moment.”

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, if you happen to see a child who appears to be lost there are important tips to keep in mind.

Experts said to avoid any physical contact with the child.

If you can, ask the child questions like if they know if they are lost or the location of their parents, but remember that many children are taught not to give out too much personal information to strangers.

It’s also important to never put a child in a car, and try to seek help. If it’s safe to do so, remain at the immediate location and wait for law enforcement.

Both Helene and Renee said that as hard as it is not to blame themselves, it’s important for people not to assume or judge why or how any child vanishes.

“Children with special needs have those innate natures to want to be independent and wants to do things,” Helene said. “We have to do it in a controlled environment but not always get to it right then and there. When those things happen we have to remember, that we are human.”

The family wants to thank law enforcement and the community for their support and quick response in locating Marcus.

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