Sheletta Brundidge and Amazon distribute door locks to families with autistic children

Following the tragic drowning death of four-year old Weiss Ali Mohammed, WCCO's Sheletta Brundidge partnered up with Amazon and helped distribute free door locks to families with autistic children in Hopkins Tuesday.

Having a child with autism can be extremely challenging.

"I have a five year old autistic son and he's an eloper, and my biggest fear is him getting out of the house, getting out of the yard and never seeing him again," says one of the moms who came to the giveaway. "I'm so happy that she's doing this."

Scott Seroka with Amazon said it was a no-brainer to donate and to partner with Brundidge.

"And that's just the whole reason we're here," says Seroka. "If we can prevent one, if not many, we will have done our part and felt proud to be part of this."

Receiving these free combination interior door locks can create peace of mind for these families.

"I have a down syndrome cousin, you know, and they've gotten calls where he has wandered off in the street," says another attendee. "So, I mean, yeah, it's a great thing to receive."

Just over a week ago, the search for Weiss Ali Mohammed, who had autism, came to a tragic end when searchers found the boy deceased in Minnehaha Creek near his home. He had wandered out without his family seeing him.

"Anybody that saw that story, whether you're a parent or not, it really does tug at your heartstrings, and what Sheletta did was she said, 'you know what, there can be a solution to this. There can be a way that we can help parents.' When she called it was a no brainer for us, we sprung into action," Seroka explained.