A Milpitas woman has been arrested after police say she fabricated the disappearance of her 9-year-old son, Harshail Kumar, whom she reported missing on July 3. The child was found safe at home the next morning, but the search had already mobilized law enforcement, volunteers, and county resources.

As KRON4 reports, the boy’s mother, 46-year-old Rohnita Prasad, contacted police that Wednesday when Harshail didn’t return home. A large search effort unfolded over the next 24 hours, with assistance from Santa Clara County Search and Rescue and other local agencies. On July 4, Harshail was located “safe and in good health” — and investigators determined he had never truly been missing.

According to police, Prasad had “intentionally concealed” her son from authorities and the public while falsely claiming he was missing, as reported by KTVU. Officers arrested her at the scene on suspicion of filing a false report, child endangerment, and intimidating or dissuading a witness.

“The safety and well-being of our community, especially our children, remains our top priority,” Milpitas Police said in a statement following the arrest, as reported by NBC Bay Area. “We take all reports involving missing children seriously and will continue pursuing the truth with diligence and integrity.”

The case has now been referred to the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children Services, which will determine a safe placement for Harshail.

Prasad’s motives are still unclear, and police have not released additional details about what led her to stage the child’s disappearance. But officials emphasized that hoaxes like this one can seriously undermine public trust and divert emergency resources away from genuine crises.

Milpitas Police reiterated that all missing-child reports are treated with urgency and seriousness, and urged residents to be truthful when contacting law enforcement.

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