San Diego

A police search for a missing 7-year-old boy was called off Monday when he was returned to his family after spending the night at a neighbor’s apartment, police said.

Victor Silva, 7, was reported missing at 7 p.m. Sunday when he failed to return to his home in the 3600 block of Altadena Avenue in East San Diego after playing with friends, police spokesman Bill Robinson said. Police searched for Silva until late Sunday night and were prepared to set up a command post in the neighborhood when the boy was found Monday morning.

An upstairs neighbor brought the boy home to his family shortly before 9 a.m., explaining that Silva said he had gotten his mother’s permission to spend the night, Robinson said.