An unsupervised 6-year-old autistic student eloped from Oak Street Elementary, walked out, and was found in traffic
- Eye On Inglewood
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
By: Eye On Inglewood Staff Writer
Halimah Ginyard - January 29, 2026
A non-verbal 6-year-old student with autism, eloped from Oak Street Elementary School and was later found standing in the middle of the street at the intersection of Spruce and Oak, according to the child’s mother.
The mother shared her account during a special education meeting held last night. During the meeting, several parents became emotional and expressed fear for their children’s safety. Parents also shared similar accounts involving a lack of supervision of students with special needs.
According to the mother, the child eloped from his classroom without supervision, walked past school staff, and exited the campus through an unlocked gate. He then walked into the surrounding neighborhood and ended up in traffic at the intersection of Spruce and Oak, where a husband and wife walking nearby noticed him and intervened to keep him safe.
The mother expressed deep gratitude to the couple and voiced concern about the school’s supervision and security, particularly for students with special needs. She said she hopes the incident prompts the school and district to strengthen procedures to prevent similar elopements.
As of January 29, 2026, Inglewood Unified School District officials and the principal of Oak Street Elementary had not released a statement or notified parents regarding the incident.
Principal: Tara Armstrong-Booth
Location: 633 S. Oak St., Inglewood, CA
Grades: TK–8
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