Less than 24 hours after Emmanuel’s mom and FIEL Houston spoke to Houston City Council, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz responded. HOUSTON — Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia remains in custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The 15-year-old, whose mom said has autism and functions like a 5-year-old, went missing 11 days ago. After hearing criticism of his department, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz shared a detailed account of what happened. “We did our very best with the resources and the information that the child had given us,” Diaz told Houston City Council on Wednesday. Diaz started his remarks by saying Emmanuel’s mom called police around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, about five hours after he went missing from the area of Clay and Hempstead Road. Diaz said the mom advised officers that Emmanuel had wandered off in the past. Missing Persons detectives responded and did research, including reviewing previous HPD reports, including a runaway report in 2024 and two missing persons reports in April and May this year. “Emmanuel was able to articulate himself well and clearly,” Diaz said. He said the 15-year-old told HPD officers he was homeless and from another country when he was found on Sunday, Oct. 5. Diaz said he reviewed bodycam footage of the incident. Diaz said the name given did not match the name filed in the police report. “Once we were not able to confirm the identity provided by the juvenile on scene, and to find an acceptable party to leave [Emmanuel] with for their safety, after exhausting all options, we contacted CPS locally,” Diaz said. He said CPS told officers they cannot hold someone not from the country indefinitely, and then referred officers to ORR. FIEL Houston showed up to the city council meeting and was kicked out after claiming the chief would not meet with Emmanuel’s family. City Council members were privately shown a 20-minute bodycam video after Diaz’s remarks. KHOU 11 has requested a copy of the bodycam video, and we are waiting for a response. Diaz would not take questions from reporters after he gave his remarks. Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.