Officers replace autistic girl's iPad

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- With just two weeks to go until Christmas, one Providence family got an early gift from an unusual source.

Eight-year-old Anisa Otero, who has autism, went missing Sunday after wandering out of the family's Salmon Street apartment.

• Photos: Police replace autistic girl's iPad

After a frantic phone call to 911 and the help of a good citizen who spotted the child, city police were able to reunite the young girl with her parents.

"She was nowhere to be found for a good 10-15 minutes," said her father, Alfonso Otero. "I was pretty much crying in the middle of the street.

Anisa was found alive and well, but it was not a complete recovery. Somewhere along the way, somebody stole her precious iPad, which acts as her window to the world.

"When I saw her face, and the innocence on her, that's what really got myself and John Reposa," said Providence Patrolman Mark DeCecco.

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Many children on the autism spectrum, like Anisa, have a hard time communicating verbally. Devices like the iPad and various apps help to give them a voice.

"That is her way of communicating, that is her way of interacting with us," said the girl's mother, Raquel Hernandez.

Seeing the child's heartbreak, Providence police officers Mark Dececco and John Raposa took action. They went to the Apple Store to buy Anisa a replacement iPad. However, after hearing Anisa's story, Apple officials donated the device.

"Autistic kids, and disabled kids, they have things they really care about," said DeCecco.

"It ended up being kind of like a Christmas miracle," said Hernandez.

Although, replacing the tablet was a much less important part of that.

"All we do is just hug her, all we can do is just hold her close, and just thank the Lord that she's still here with us," Otero said.