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Natomas Toddler Sends Family Into Panic After Disappearing From Sight

NATOMAS (CBS13) - A missing toddler sent his mother in a panic, but it turns out the 3-year-old was found not just close to home but inside the home.

When little Nicholas went missing, his family looked everywhere their Natomas home - in closets, in cabinets and even in the refrigerator. You won't believe where they found him, in the one place they forgot to look.

Christina Adkins called 911 an hour into her search.

Sacramento police tore the place apart looking for Nicholas.

"They pulled all this stuff out, all the blankets," said Nicholas' grandmother Linda. "They even looked at this box to see if he might've been in there."

Grandma stayed home while Nicholas' mom and three daughters frantically searched the streets.

"You can't imagine, I thought for sure my son was gone," Christina said, crying. "I mean, he's the love of my life, you know?"

Nicholas was missing more than two hours. Mom feared the worst.

"We were all crying and I love him more than anything in the world and I'm so grateful that he's here," she said.

It wasn't just relief, but also disbelief with where he was found: a very likely hiding place - with a twist.

"Oh my gosh, I felt stupid in a way," she said.

She checked under his bed but not in the bed. Nicholas was just out of view after crawling up into the box spring. An officer finally found him after lifting up the mattress.

"He was laying on that, sleeping right there in the far corner," his mom said. "That's why we couldn't find him."

The toddler was sound asleep, oblivious to the chaos he'd caused. It turns out he'd chased a kitten under the bed and decided to take a little afternoon nap.

"I couldn't believe he'd been that far underneath up there," Christina said.

The family has installed locks on all the gates, windows and doors in the house because Nicholas has run off before. In the wake of this incident he has a new nickname: Houdini. They say he's a bit of an escape artist.

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