Boy's "Help Me" note no joke to Sequim cops

A 12-year-old boy's crayon-scrawled note in a Sequim Applebee's led police on a six-hour manhunt Friday that ended in Pierce County when authorities learned the child had played a practical joke and was safe at home.

While eating lunch at the restaurant in the afternoon with two men, the child scrawled "Help Me" on a note and left it under his plate. Restaurant employees found the note after the adults had paid for the meal and left the restaurant. The employee called police.

In response, Sequim Police, following standard procedure, checked every motel in Sequim, canvassed shopping centers, interviewed witnesses, traced the name of the adult who paid for the meal with his charge card, searched vehicle registrations and located a home address for the man in Pierce County.

Just before 7 p.m., Pierce County Sheriff's deputies tracked down the man at home and confirmed that the child was safe and had left the note as a joke.

Sequim police plan to refer the case to the city attorney's office next week to determine whether the parents will be billed for the costs of the extended search.

Sequim Police Sgt. Dave Campbell applauded the Applebee's employees for taking the note seriously, and said the department had no choice but to respond, just in case the child had actually been abducted.

"At the very least, this is going to offer one family a pretty important learning moment for a young child," he said in a statement.