Akila Keona Nihoa, a 12-year-old boy with developmental disabilities, appeared to be healthy and has been placed in foster custody "in a safe home," said Barbara Service, supervisor for the agency's Diamond Head Permanency Unit in Kalihi.

Akila, who has been a ward of the state since April 2003 when his parents' rights were terminated, vanished from 'Ewa Beach while trick-or-treating last Halloween. He had been living in a state-licensed emergency shelter that provides care for children awaiting placement in a foster home.

Social workers and police in the Juvenile Services Division had tried to locate Akila since the early morning hours of Nov. 1. Akila's case worker, Amy West, said police visited relatives in 'Ewa Beach and a home in Nanakuli after receiving an anonymous phone tip.