Missing boy, 9, found

A nine-year-old South Auckland boy missing for the past month has been found safe and well, just two hours after police launched a nationwide appeal to trace him.

Kevin Ponini, who was in the care of Child, Youth and Family (CYF), went missing after leaving school in Clendon, Manurewa, on May 24.

Counties Manukau police said this afternoon that Kevin, who was believed to have run away of his own accord, had been found safe and well.

The announcement came shortly after police called a media conference to appeal for help in tracking down the boy.

Detective Senior Sergeant Richard Wilkie of Counties Manukau police told NZPA he was very happy Kevin has been found.

He was with an extended family member in the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes, he said.

"We have had some assistance and it was as a direct result of us saying to certain people that the information was to be released to the media.

"It really helped with family members passing the word around to extended family members.

"We told them if it goes to the media and we were able to locate the child without the assistance of the family or extended whanau, that would probably leave them liable to prosecution.

"We're still working through those issues now. We're just about to arrange for Kevin to go into CYF's care."

Mr Wilkie said police had not yet interviewed anyone in connection with Kevin's disappearance,

- NZPA