Marion Police Locate Missing 11-Year-Old with Autism; Multi-Agency Effort Leads to Safe Recovery and Arrest in Indiana

On July 10, 2025, members of the Marion Police Department responded to Congress St. for a report of an 11-year-old missing child, who has Autism.

The Marion Police Department called on the following partners to help look for the 11-year-old, Gavin Ostrander:

• The Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded and worked side by side with MPD as they always do

• The Ohio State Highway Patrol provided MPD with tools and resources they could not obtain otherwise

• The Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association responded to help MPD search

• The Marion City Fire Department and the Marion City Streets Department assisted in searching the surrounding neighborhoods

• Marion County Juvenile Probation helped MPD look for Gavin

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation answered MPD’s call for assistance and helped them coordinate their investigation

• The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded were very helpful to their investigation

• The Delaware County Child Abduction Response Team (of which MPD is a member) responded to help them canvas the area

• Marion County Combined Dispatch was invaluable to helping this large group of people look for this missing child.

• The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office provided important guidance in the effort.

The combined efforts of all the groups listed enabled Gavin to be found safe in Indiana and a Bradford Deem, age 45 of Veedersburg, Indiana to be arrested by the local police in Indiana.

The investigation continues and local charges are expected to be filed in Marion County.

“I am extremely relieved that Gavin was located and will be returning to Marion. I am very thankful for the help of our partners, our officers and our civilian staff, who worked tirelessly to help find Gavin. I am proud of the community who helped us look for Gavin and provided tips for us to follow up on. I am proud of the work of this entire criminal justice team in our community” said Marion Police Chief Jay McDonald.