A 31-year-old man has been charged with felonious assault today in connection with the sexual assault and beating of a Mineral City boy.

MINERAL CITY A 31-year-old man has been charged with felonious assault today in connection with the sexual assault and beating of a Mineral City boy.

Randy Vento, who told investigators he is from Florida, has been charged with the third-degree felony and will appear in New Philadelphia Municipal Court this afternoon.

According to Tuscarawas County Sheriff's deputies, the 11-year-old boy was reported missing at 4:50 p.m. Thursday by his mother. She told deputies her son was last seen walking with some friends from a nearby store.

Several family members, friends, neighbors, sheriff's deputies and detectives searched for the boy and discovered evidence that "indicated a high probability of foul play," Chief Deputy Orvis Campbell said this morning.

Shortly after the boy's mother reported him missing at 4:50 p.m. Thursday, deputies involved in the search patrolled the area of Grant and Clay streets where children are known to ride their bikes on a railroad bed.

"This is not a dangerous area," Campbell said to describe the area where the boy was found. It's a wooded area where some kids have built a fort to play in. "Everybody plays back there. This was an appropriate place to allow kids to be kids."

Campbell said a piece of evidence discovered by a family member "really terrified" investigators. The boy's uncle had found his nephew's cellphone. It was broken and the battery was removed.

"That indicated a high probability of foul play," Campbell said.

The boy was discovered around 6:40 p.m. coming out of the wooded area about two hours after he had been reported missing.

Campbell said the boy was found in bad condition: "Very badly beaten, covered in blood, blows to the head."

The boy was bleeding from his forehead and had a hooded sweatshirt tied around his neck.

The boy was transported to Akron Children's Hospital and was able to provide a brief, vague description of the suspect who assaulted him.

"I do expect him to make it," Campbell said about the boy. A spokesperson at Akron Children's Hospital would not release the boy's condition.

A witness told deputies she saw an unfamiliar man riding a bicycle on state Route 800 with bags on the bicycle. Investigators found the bicycle and bags about 50 yards from where the boy was discovered.

Campbell said investigators assumed the suspect was running on foot since he was not with his bicycle and hiding so he could escape in the dark.

Campbell said he spoke briefly with the boy at Akron Children's Hospital to get as much information as he could before the boy went into surgery. A reverse 911 call was sent out to area residents in Sandy Township about the man who was seen riding a bike, and asked the public for any information.

After the announcement was made, a resident on N. High Street called police to report seeing a man matching the suspect's description exiting the village's park, crossing the street and running north on the sidewalk along N. High Street. Deputies then apprehended Vento in the 8800 block of N. High Street.