A 5-year-old nonverbal autistic boy walked off his elementary school playground during recess and was found by a stranger off campus, his mother says.

Trinity Taylor told WBTV her son Sage left Long Creek Elementary School in Huntersville on Thursday, Sept. 17, during afternoon recess. A neighbor found the kindergartner off school grounds and brought him back. Taylor estimates Sage was unaccounted for by staff for at least 30 minutes.

No one at the school noticed he was gone.

The only timeline the school provided, according to Taylor: recess lineups ran from 1:42 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., and Sage was not in line. The principal called Taylor just after 2 p.m. to tell her what happened.

Taylor said she had warned staff before the incident. "I spoke with the teacher, I spoke with the office staff as well. I spoke to the principal and I explained he does elope," she told WBTV. "He elopes, but he doesn't run, so he walks."

Taylor said she does not know how far Sage got from campus or which neighbor found him. When she asked, the school's response was "we will get back to you."

Taylor said she will not send Sage back to Long Creek Elementary. She filed an incident report with Huntersville Police.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 22, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) had not responded to requests for comment from WBTV or WCCB. CMS officials told Taylor the incident is under a confidential investigation, according to WCCB.

Long Creek Elementary is in Huntersville, not the Ballantyne attendance zone, but CMS sets security protocols for all schools district-wide.

The security lapse comes during a period of upheaval at CMS. The school board voted 5-4 on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill, as we reported Sept. 23. Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight was named interim superintendent. The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's office also requested a state criminal investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the district, WFAE reported.

Taylor told WCCB she wants a broader review of campus security across CMS. "If a 5-year-old is able to walk off campus, imagine who can walk on campus," she said.