OCALA, FL (352today.com) -Caden Speight, the juvenile who went missing Sept. 25, 2025, was found Sept. 26, 2025, alive and healthy.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigators and detectives were searching for Speight all through the night, before 10 p.m. on Sept. 25, working diligently until the missing and endangered juvenile was found.

“This case came in as quite literally a shock to us, and to the citizens in Marion County and the State of Florida,” said Lt. Paul Bloom, Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Speight was located in Williston.

The sheriff’s office responded to the report of a shooting at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2025, at about the 12800 block of CR 484, near the Dunnellon Airport, which is a wooded and rural area. There is evidence at the scene that a shooting did occur.

“When we arrived, we did find evidence of a shooting, an abandoned vehicle there, belonging to Mr. Caden Speight, and the investigation began there,” said Bloom. “What we learned was that Caden had let a family member know that he may possibly have been abducted by four men in a white van. He (Speight) described them as Hispanic.”

It was Speight’s mother who contacted MCSO, after her son had texted her.

The sheriff’s office responded to tips that were coming in. The forensic team responded to the physical evidence and began an investigation alongside of the MCSO detectives, and what was determined was that the abduction was unfounded, said Bloom. MCSO is no longer pursuing the case as if Speight was abducted.

MCSO did confirm that the juvenile did stop off at several stores including Walmart prior to the incident. The Sheriff’s office distributed photos of Speight at the Walmart. Speight purchased a bicycle, a sleeping tent and a sleeping bag. He had a backpack, was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. It’s thought that he left from the scene of the incident on a bicycle.

A number of MCSO teams were involved in the search including aviation, with a number of agencies working in concert with the sheriff’s office. The forensic team followed up with the evidence that had been collected at the scene.

The juvenile’s mother had posted on social media that she had received texts from her son, and that was confirmed by MCSO. Speight texted his mother that he was abducted by four Hispanic males. Speight’s phone was found by the abandoned vehicle, and MCSO received the report that he had texted family members. The outpouring from the community with providing tips and wanting to help, was overwhelming, said Bloom.

Information had come in during the presser that MCSO was with the juvenile, they had found him, and he was in good health.

Speight could potentially face charges, said Bloom.

“Right now, the most important thing for us is reuniting him with his parents, who are distraught, sleep deprived, and the most stressed they’ve ever been,” said Bloom. “We want to look into this, into what was the cause, what was his plan, what was the reason.”