Athens police, volunteer firefighters, family members, citizens and search dogs were hunting for a runaway 9-year-old boy for more than four hours Wednesday night.

The boy, Travion Malone of Athens, was reported missing at 3:54 p.m. by his family.

“He had problems at school and his stepfather went to see him and to get his brother and while he was getting his brother, the boy ran off,” said Athens police investigator Floyd Johnson. “Given his age and the weather, we are concerned about him – it’s wet and cold out here.”

Volunteer firefighters from Owens, Tanner, Clements and Pleasant Grove helped in the search, said Teresa Owens of Owens Volunteer Fire Department. She said a command center was set up at Friendship Methodist Church off Lucas Ferry Road, just inside the city limits.

Initially, law-enforcement officials were asking family members to call relatives and friends to see if the boy might have gone to one of their homes. There were 15 to 20 family members helping in the search. Malone left Cowart School about 2:30 p.m. on foot, according to his stepmother.

“At first we thought he had runaway from school, then later we realized his stepfather was with him when he ran off,” Johnson said. “We sure want to find him. We won’t know what is going on until we talk to him.”

About 6:30 p.m., law-enforcement officers called the school principal to open the locked school to see if the boy was still there.

Since then, Malone has been spotted a few times, but he ran when approached.

“Since then, he has talked to his stepfather again and he ran off again,” Johnson said. “His mom spotted him and he ran off and relatives have seen him but he ran off again.”