Police searching for 'Chris,' non-verbal teen with autism in La Grange area

Authorities in the La Grange area are searching for 19-year-old Shawn Christopher Arndt-Spikes.

Arndt-Spikes answers to "Chris." He has autism and is non-verbal.

The 19-year-old was reported missing Sunday night around 8:30 p.m. from the 200 block of North Forbes Street.

Chris is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 125 pounds. He was wearing a green short-sleeved T-shirt with a surfing logo on the front of the shirt and blue sweatpants.

Since then, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Lenoir County Emergency Services, the La Grange Volunteer Fire Department and other agencies have been searching for him, even using a private helicopter.

Chris takes seizure medicine twice a day and has missed several doses, which could cause him to have seizures. He does not speak.

If you see him, do not approach him but immediately call 911 and give the operator his location, officials said.

“This is important to me and our whole department to find Chris,” Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers said. “We appreciate all the help from the different agencies and the northern Lenoir County community in this search.”

People in the La Grange area are encouraged to check their carports, garages and yards in case Chris is seeking shelter.