Police say teen spotted on New York subway is NOT missing autistic boy Avonte despite striking similarity
- Family of Avonte Oquendo were hopeful after photo of boy who looked like the missing teenager emerged this week
- But police said the boy in the picture has been IDed and is not Avonte
- The 14-year-old has been missing since October 4 and authorities have said they are not hopeful that he is still alive
Police have said that a teenager spotted on a New York subway who looks strikingly similar to a missing 14-year-old with autism is not the boy.
The photo was taken by a teenager on Tuesday afternoon who said the boy didn't answer when asked if he was Avonte Oquendo, who has been missing since October 4.
But on Thursday, police said that the boy in the photograph had been identified and was not the missing teenager, the New York Post reported.
Lead: The boy in this picture, taken on the New York subway on Tuesday, bears a striking resemblance to missing teenager Avonte Oquendo
Police continue to search for the boy, who ran away from his Queens school, even though Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: 'We are not hopeful that we're going to find this young man alive.'
Several reported sightings have been made of Avonte, who can't communicate verbally, and this latest picture had been described by his frantic family as the closest likeness yet.
Lost: Avonte was last seen leaving his school
Daniel Oquendo had told the Daily News he was hesitant to say the boy in the photo was his son, but added: 'It's a close likeness'.
The teenager who took the photo said the boy on the subway, who was traveling alone, looked like pictures of Avonte that have been plastered across New York since he left his Long Island City school.
When he asked the boy if he was Avonte, the subway passenger just stared ahead - a reaction common in those with autism.
The teenager took the boy's photo but didn't report the sighting to authorities because he wasn't supposed to be on the train, according to Newsday.
Officials found out about the sighting after the picture was posted on to Facebook.
When Avonte went missing he was wearing a gray striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers.
The boy pictured on the subway on Tuesday was in an oversized tan coat.
Hope: The possible sighting has been welcomed by the autistic teenager's family, who have been searching for him since October 4
Police have followed up 500 leads for the teenager who has been missing for nearly a month.
The boy's family and police have pleaded with the public to continue to keep their eyes open for the missing teenager.
The family capped the reward offered to find Avonte at $95,000 after concerns that it may delay finding him if he is being held by someone who is seeking a ransom.
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