Pierce Crowley, Missing Westchester Teen, Found Safe In New York City

The Journal News reported on Thursday morning that Crowley has been found. Police Lt. Eric Fischer said Crowley was recognized by a New York City police officer from the 34th Precinct. The officer spotted Crowley walking with a group of youngsters in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan around 12:30 a.m. He was found unharmed.

White Plains police were recently tipped off that the Westchester teen was in Washington Heights, according to The Journal News. They contacted police in the area and distributed more fliers with Crowley's photo.

White Plains Police Commissioner David Chong said the New York City officer who spotted Crowley had one of the Missing fliers in his pocket when he saw the group of kids on the street in Upper Manhattan.

We had been in contact with the precincts in Washington Heights and dropped off fliers, he said. When this officer stopped the kids to find out what they were up to, he recognized Pierce. We had teams searching in the area, so we were able to meet up with them very quickly, confirm that it was Pierce, and get him home. Our detectives were tenacious - they worked hard on this from the beginning. We're very glad that he was found safe and that he's home with his family.

Crowley's parents, who have been searching for their son for almost a week now, are relieved.

The Crowley family is extremely relieved that the son they love so much is back home, health and safe, Dan Schorr, associate managing director of Kroll Associates, the investigation firm hired by the Crowley family, told The Journal News.

He added that the White Plains police did a phenomenal job in finding Pierce. They're a stellar department and they've proven it once again here. The media coverage and the public's attention was also extremely helpful.

Crowley, a freshman at Iona Preparatory School, went missing on Friday, May 25. According to a News 12 Westchester report, the boy left New York-Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains, where he was enrolled in a program, with a friend on Friday and went to The Cheesecake Factory on Bloomingdale Avenue. The two later took a taxi to the White Plains Metro-North train station where they parted ways. Crowley was last seen in the cab, reported the Nyack-Piermont Patch.

Family and friends began a massive tri-state effort to spread the word about the boy's disappearance in hopes of finding him. Celebrities joined as well, utilizing their social media networks to spread the word about the missing boy from Westchester, N.Y. Kim Kardashian, designer Tory Burch, singers Mike Posner and Sammy Adams, E! Network's Jonathan Cheban, Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens, Josh Bush of the New York Jets and Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member Albie Manzo all tweeted out the hashtag #findpierce to help find Pierce Crowley.