EAST CHICAGO | A missing 7-year-old East Chicago boy was found safe hiding in a pantry in his home Wednesday morning after a near 12-hour frantic search of the community.

"He was behind a pantry in their home," city spokesman Damian Rico said at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. "He got his hands on some stuff he wasn't supposed to and he got scared thinking his Dad would be mad, so he hid."

William "Billy" Douglas Arthur Santos of the 5000 block of Indianapolis Boulevard was reported missing by family members at 8:12 p.m. Tuesday.

The child had last been seen by his sister at 6:40 p.m. in the front yard of his home via a video security monitor.

"A canvass of the area was immediately conducted, K-9 unit and Lake County helicopter Unit Eagle One was on the scene, and family and friends and concerned citizens feverishly looked for the missing boy, " Rico said. "All parks, abandoned buildings, waterways, gas stations were searched. Flyers were put up in neighboring businesses and towns. Further, all sex offenders in the area were field interviewed."

Rico said Wednesday morning that when Santos saw the police come to his home, he got scared and decided to stay hid away in the pantry, sleeping there overnight.

Santos was entered into the Indiana Data and Communications System and National Crime Information Center as part of the search efforts the night before, Rico said. The boy's photo was also sent to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

An Amber Alert was not issued because Santos was considered a missing child. Amber Alerts are issued for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted.