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Questions remain over Durham toddler's disappearance

A day after a seven-hour search for a missing Durham toddler found him unharmed in a nearby apartment, police released few details Tuesday as to why the child was inside for so long before he was located.

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DURHAM, N.C. — A day after a seven-hour search for a missing Durham toddler found him unharmed in a nearby apartment, police released few details Tuesday as to why the child was inside for so long before he was located.

Two-year-old Kameron Jakise Hembry disappeared in the 2500 block of South Roxboro Street shortly after 2 p.m. Monday while he and his mother, Wakise Graham, were visiting friends in the area.

Police used all-terrain vehicles and dogs to search the area for hours, and a number of nearby residents volunteered to assist with the effort.

A statewide Amber Alert was issued for Kameron at 7 p.m., with officials saying they believed he had been abducted.

Two hours later, volunteer searchers going door to door found the child inside a nearby home. He was taken to a local hospital to be checked out and then went home with his mother.

A family friend said Graham remains confused about her son's disappearance.

Likewise, residents in the search area wondered Tuesday how Kameron got into the apartment, how long he had been there and why no one inside turned him over to police earlier.

"The baby is 2 years old. The baby cannot turn that knob," resident Sharika Harding said.

Searchers said late Monday that they knew adults were inside the apartment where the boy was found.

"The Amber Alert was coming across my Lifetime movie, so I know (people would have) seen it," Harding said.

No charges have been filed, but Police Chief Jose Lopez indicated that the case remains under investigation. He declined to talk about details of the investigation. When asked how the child got into the apartment, the chief replied, "Ask him."

"Nothing like this (has) ever happened out here. People are overprotective about their kids in this community," Harding said.

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