The family of Ngu Thi Phuong Dung in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City found their 13-year-old son on Thursday after three weeks of losing contact with him.
A local resident of Vung Tau City in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, some 100 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City, told Dung about the appearance of her son, D., in their area earlier the same day after the 36-year-old’s family resorted to the media to search for him.
After police in Binh Tan District and Vung Tau City verified the report, Dung and her husband went to Vung Tau to pick D. up.
At the local police’s headquarters, D. bursted into tears upon his reunion with his family after more than 20 days.
D. left his house on his bicycle on March 28 after Dung scolded him for scratches on his hands after school.
The boy pedaled to Vung Tau while his family looked for him at places he had frequented before seeking help from police.
In Vung Tau, he begged for food and drink, as well as collected and sold scrap for a living, while a local resident gave him a shelter, according to his account.
Both of D.’s physical and mental conditions are currently stable.