NORFOLK, Va. — Mesha Anderson, the mother of missing 18-year-old Keith Anderson, tells News 3 that he has been found safe in Houston, Texas.
"I can't form all the words, I'm super excited," said Anderson.
Mesha told News 3 someone from a shelter in Texas saw the news story about Keith's disappearance on TV. They alerted Keith that his mom was looking for him and to call her.
"He was crying hysterically, of course, and I was crying. I asked him to come home," said Anderson.
From Norfolk to Houston, it's a nearly 20-hour drive spanning more than 1,300 miles.
Anderson's mom said they have no family in Texas.
Police say Anderson was originally reported missing by his mother, Mesha Anderson, on Jan. 29 as she was dropping him off for class at Norfolk State University. Virginia State Police issued a missing/endangered person alert for Keith. State Police said someone reported seeing Keith on Feb. 4 at a 7-Eleven store on Monticello Avenue in Norfolk.
"The easiest way for me to get him home was to fly him into Charlotte, so everything else has put him home the next day, and I didn't want to wait," said Anderson.
Mesha said her son's disappearance took a huge toll on the family, and they're now taking steps toward healing.
"We're going to take care of his well-being first, and foremost. Everything else is secondary," said Anderson.
Anderson also shared a message with the News 3 team.
"I'm thankful to you and your colleagues that our story has been aired. It made it all the way down to Houston Texas, and someone saw it on the news. I'm just so grateful for you all airing our story," said Anderson.
Mesha says she picked Keith up in Charlotte, North Carolina Sunday.
As for whether he'll go back to Norfolk State for classes, she told News 3 that's up in the air.
But after three weeks of questions, she's happy to finally have answers and have her son back home in Hampton Roads safely.
