DAY 5: EMA expires but authorities still search for Ryan

The 11-year-old has now been missing for three days. Local police are calling this search the 'ultimate game of hide-and-seek.'
Lauren Ewinger, ,

LA VISTA, Neb. (KLKN) — UPDATE: La Vista Police officials announced that the Endangered Missing Advisory for Ryan Larsen has expired, but this doesn’t mean they are easing their search efforts.

Authorities continue to search the Walnut Creek area, assisted by search dogs and sonar technology. Officers say they have been focusing on this area because Larsen’s family would often go there and they are exhausting every lead at this point.

In fact, the local fire department searched the school with heat sensing technology in case Larsen was hiding in the ducts.

The La Vista Police Chief shared, “I’m worried now, again we’re 96 hours into this… is he somewhere he can’t get out? where is he at? You know, that’s what’s on my mind right now.”

La Vista Police plans to provide a live update concerning the search for Ryan Larsen at 3 pm. We’ll keep you updated as new details are released.

Entering Day 5 in the search for missing 11-year-old Ryan Larsen, authorities say they do not need volunteers at this time.

According to a recent tweet by the La Vista Police Department, more than 200 officers and support staff are actively searching for Larsen.

Following a press briefing Thursday evening, police are now considering the boy a missing persons case.

According to the La Vista police, the law enforcement officers went door to door at Ryan’s apartment complex near 84th and Harrison Streets today. K9 officers are also being utilized, trained in tracking any potential direction Ryan might have headed.

    • Investigators ask anyone living in the La Vista/Ralston/Papillion area to please check sheds, under decks, garages, in shrubs/landscaping, and to check any security cameras like RING that may have captured images of Ryan in the last few days.
  • Law enforcement officers searched Walnut Creek Recreation Area on Thursday. Volunteers canvassed this area Wednesday; officers repeated this again Thursday with all entrances blocked off in hopes a smaller number of people would be less intimidating for Ryan if he was hiding.
  • The Sarpy County Search and Rescue Team utilized boats to search water areas near the La Vista Central Park (the former La Vista Falls Golf Course at 84th and Parkview Blvd), and at Walnut Creek Recreation Area.
    • Autism Spectrum experts have shared that children with autism gravitate toward water.
  • The FBI and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children are now partnering with La Vista Police on this case. This provides additional resources to already existing efforts; for example, the recruitment of 30 experienced ERT trainees in today’s search operations.

La Vista police are searching the pond in Central Park again, this time with FEMA’s ‘Live Search and Rescue’ canines.

MORE: Omaha business joins effort to find missing boy

FBI agents have been knocking on doors in the Southfield Apartment Homes complex. According to a resident, the agents would come in and search through every cupboard and closet.

The Larsen family lives in this area.

FEMA’s ‘Live Search and Rescue’ canines are canvasing Central Park in La Vista Thursday morning in Day 4 of the search for Ryan Larsen.

La Vista police are no longer asking for volunteers to help search for missing 11-year-old Ryan Larsen.

Instead, the FBI is now involved with the search for Ryan Larsen who has been missing for three days.

Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also involved in the search.

Authorities are still urging the entire Omaha area to keep an eye out for Larsen and to report any sighting immediately.


LA VISTA, Neb. (KLKN) — According to our Omaha sister station, KMTV, authorities have broadened their search efforts to Walnut Creek because Larsen and his family frequent the area.

La Vista police are now asking volunteers to stay away from the La Vista area in case Larsen is intimidated by the crowd. Volunteers are also asked to not approach Larsen if they find him, just keep an eye on him and call the police.

Ryan does take seizure medication. He can survive without him but it’s important he is returned to his family as soon as possible.

Officers say they still believe Larson is hiding, but are now considering other possibilities.

UPDATE: La Vista police begin their third day of searching for Ryan Larsen. They have asked that any volunteers who would like to help search meet at the Walnut Creek Recreation Area at 1 pm. Authorities say their search today will be focused around bodies of water in the area.

“We have no reason to suspect anything other than he walked away,” commented a spokesperson for the La Vista Police Department. “Right now we are just looking for a little boy who is playing the ultimate game of hide-and-seek.”

The official explained that La Vista police has dealt with Larsen before.

“He does like to hide he does like to get away, he likes to hide in small places.”

Larsen is a high-functioning child on the autism spectrum, who police say is non-verbal with anyone he is uncomfortable around. They believe he was in between classes when he slipped away from the school.

La Vista police will be providing a live update on the search for Ryan Larsen at 2:30 p.m.

La Vista police are asking residents who live near 78th Street and Terry Drive to check home security or doorbell cameras for any sign of Ryan Larsen.

The Nebraska State Patrol issues an Endangered Missing Advisory for a La Vista boy.

Ryan Larsen was last known to be in the area of 78th Street and Terry Drive in La Vista around 12:00 pm on Monday.

Authorities say Ryan has autism, is an 11-year-old white male, 5′ 8″, about 125 lbs with brown hair and hazel eyes. Ryan was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, an Old Navy shirt, and had a polka-dotted umbrella.

If you have any information on his location, call 911 or the La Vista Police Department at 402-331-1582.

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