Young stowaway finds his way to Tampa

Akeem Davis, whose mother says he is autistic, apparently slipped onto a cruise ship in New Orleans.

By MICHAEL SANDLER

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 24, 2000

The long, strange journey of 9-year-old Akeem Davis began Friday afternoon at the foot of his grandmother's bed in New Orleans.

When she dozed, he got up and left. Thus began a three-day odyssey that would include a long walk, a voyage from Louisiana to Florida, and finally, a late Sunday night flight home.

While his mother shopped and his grandmother slept, Akeem walked six miles to the Port of New Orleans and somehow boarded the Carnival Cruise ship Sensation.

Blending in with returning passengers, Davis slipped past customs officials and ship's employees, according to Tampa police. By the time the crew discovered the young stowaway, they were already out to sea and charting a course for the Port of Tampa, the final stop on the seven-night cruise.

Abdul Kahn, head of security for the vessel, said ship personnel would have no comment.

On Sunday, when Sensation docked, Tampa police took charge of the boy. But a condition his mother called autism limits his speech, and Akeem was able to report only his first name.

With some timely help from WTVT Fox 13, however, and some good luck, police were able to track down his mother in New Orleans.

"The Lord is good," she said.

"He said, "Your child took a cruise to Florida,' " said Latotcha Davis, who filed a missing persons report with New Orleans police, posted signs throughout the city and contacted several area television stations. "He said, "He went to Tampa Bay.' I said, "I've been down here all my life; where's the cruise ship? What do you mean he went to Tampa Bay? He doesn't have money.' "

This journey is not the first time Akeem vanished without telling his mother. Six weeks ago, she said, he ventured off in the middle of the night and since then has disappeared eight more times.

He has wandered down to the French Quarter, onto the campus of the University of New Orleans, and along interstate and highway bridges, she said. Each time, police managed to find him.

It became enough to prompt Davis and her mother to add dead bolts to the doors of their East New Orleans apartment. Mother and grandmother take turns watching the affable boy, along with his younger sister. But until last Friday, he limited his travels to evenings and within city limits.

"I know he can't talk that good," Latotcha Davis said. "He knows his name. New Orleans is a rough little place. These little children down here ain't no joke. I was just worried that somebody really did harm to him."

On Sunday, the child remained in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services and was scheduled to fly home in the evening, according to spokesman Tom Jones.

"We are working with the mom and New Orleans authorities," Jones said. "Right now, we have no reason to disbelieve her, but we want to confirm everything."

Lt. Marlon Defillo, a spokesman for the New Orleans Police Department, recalled a July 1 incident when the child disappeared. The child was classified as a runaway, but later returned to the apartment on his own. Defillo said the department has yet to rule out other reasons for leaving.

"Right now, the department's child abuse unit is investigating, as well as the office of community services," Defillo said. "They are conducting a joint investigation. We've had no past complaints."

Autism is a brain disorder that affects between one and two in 1,000 Americans, often affecting a person's ability to communicate and build relationships.

Donna Gilles, associate director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of Florida in Gainesville, said the 9-year-old's actions would be unusual among autistic children. Like any child, his motivation to wander could be initiated by boredom or curiosity, she said.

"Or it could be if the child is really highly intelligent that this may be turning into a game for him," Gilles said. "If he's doing it to the point where he gets the whole community out there hunting for him, and he knows it, that might be a motivating factor."

When his grandmother, Wanda David, awoke Friday, she found the hallway door open and a broken window. She called the police.

"One of the panes in the window was missing," Latotcha Davis said. "I thought he was cut or something, because glass was on the outside."

What happened next is not clear. Somehow he got to the ship docks, where, according to Dennis Rodriguez of the Tampa Police Department, he blended in with departing passengers and boarded the ship.

"He just kind of walked right in with a big crowd of people," Rodriguez said. "Somebody saw him go by. At that point, when he went to look for him, he could not find him."

Rodriguez said the employee noticed the boy on the ship after they departed from New Orleans and realized he was not a passenger. When the ship docked in Tampa early Sunday morning, officials notified police.

But no one could identify a boy who would report only his first name. Officer Sam Mantijo called WTVT Fox 13 News for assistance.

"I really thought it was a joke when it first came in," said Bill Sheerin, a weekend assignment editor who took the call at 9 a.m. "He says, "You are not going to believe this, but we need your help.' "

Sheerin called WVUE, a Fox affiliate station in New Orleans.

"I got the assignment editor on the phone and said we believe he came from New Orleans, and that he may be mentally retarded," he said. "She said, "No, he's autistic. You are not going to believe this, but the boy's mother was here yesterday.' "

Latotcha Davis had visited the station with a photo of her son on Saturday. Sheerin called police back with a phone number, and by 11 a.m., they reached mom.

- Times staff writer Leonora LaPeter contributed to this story.

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