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KINGFIELD — A 16-year-old boy who ran away from home during the overnight hours of Aug. 19 was found Thursday in Strong, Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said.

Dustin Merrill, who has run away before, was the subject of searches by deputies, while other police agencies were on the lookout for him.

The teen left a note and indicated he was heading for Westbrook, where police there were also watching for him.

The boy’s mother, Alli Merrill, said she searched in Westbrook and was in Wilton on Thursday looking for him.

He is the youngest of her seven children.

In May 2020, the teen was the subject of a search by law enforcement, family and friends after he ran away from home. He was located three days later after a residential alarm went off at a residence in Kingfield and a state police trooper found him inside.

Donna M. Perry is a general assignment reporter who has lived in Livermore Falls for 30 years and has worked for the Sun Journal for 20 years. Before that she was a correspondent for the Livermore Falls...