Missing East Boston boy, 5, reunited with his mother

A 5-year-old boy found wandering in a Revere shopping area Friday afternoon has been reunited with his family.

The boy, whom police call Joseph, was returned to his mother at about midnight after the Department of Social Services took him into custody.

"When we returned the child, it was quite a reunion," said Denise Monteiro , DSS spokeswoman. "She was very distraught that her child was missing, and he was distraught that he couldn't get back to mommy."

Monteiro wouldn't release the names of the boy or his mother, but said they live in East Boston.

She said the youngster had walked about 10 blocks from his home to the shopping area near Suffolk Downs.

Police received word of an unattended child at about 2 p.m. Friday, when a stranger found the boy wandering Furlong Drive in Revere, brought him to the Stop & Shop supermarket on that street , and called police, said Sergeant Ted Michalski .

"We checked the tapes at Target and Stop & Shop to see if anyone had walked in with him prior, and there was nothing there, " Michalski said.

Police said the boy mostly spoke Spanish, and customers served as interpreters for him and the officers . Joseph was taken to the Police Department, where DSS took custody of him. Four hours later, his mother reported him missing. Monteiro said the lapse was due to "miscommunication" between adults in the home " as to who was taking the child and where the child went."

"Although we felt it was a drastic error, we understand the timing, and to understand it was the most important thing," Monteiro said.

April Simpson can be reached at asimpson@globe.com.