Texas teen found living in Walmart wore diapers to avoid detection

A 14-year-old runaway has been found living in a Walmart supermarket in the US.

The teenage boy managed to elude staff at the Corsicana, Texas store for almost three days by hiding in two secret compounds made of stacks of towels, toilet paper and boxes of infants' prams before being discovered.

The boy is reported to have even worn diapers instead of using the store's toilets and changed his clothes regularly to avoid detection.

"You never expect that you're at Walmart and someone has been living there for days. That's crazy," Walmart customer Myrna Aguilar told local station CBS 11 News.

Customers who walked the aisles were oblivious to the boy's two makeshift bunkers, where he stored necessities, slept in a makeshift bed and ate stolen goods.

The boy, who was reported missing on July 28, created a gap in the back wall of the drink aisle to grab juice and even collected a fish from the pet department, according to staff.

Eventually, a trail of rubbish led workers to his whereabouts.

According to police, the boy took shelter in the store after running away from his aunt's home, where he had been staying while his parents were out of town.

When contacted by local media, the boy's mother said he had a history of disappearing and had hidden in abandoned houses and businesses in the past.

The boy, who initially tried to flee, was escorted from the store by police and released to the custody of his relatives.

"In runaway cases it is not standard procedure to notify Child Protective Serves unless there is an indication the juvenile was a victim of possible abuse or neglect or was living in a dangerous environment," which did not appear to be an issue in this case, according to a police spokesman.

Walmart has not confirmed whether it plans to file criminal charges against the boy.

Source: CBS 11 News
Author: Chloe Ross, Approving editor: Martin Zavan