Missing Boy Found Alive 4 Years Later
A boy who was first reported missing four years ago has been found alive behind the false wall of a suburban home.
The Daily Mail reports that the boy is now 13-years-old and originally hails from Florida. The boy was found inside the false wall of a linen closet in a home on the outskirts of Atlanta.
The boy was first reported missing to child welfare services after he visited his father, and his father refused to return the boy to his mother, according to the Mail. The mother never called the police however, most likely because she is an immigrant who is unfamiliar with how to handle the situation. The boy was able to contact his mother by obtaining a cell phone, downloading a messaging application, and sending his mother critical details that could be used by the police to help locate him. When she received his messages she dialed 911, according to the Mail. When police first arrived on the scene, they were stonewalled by the house's occupants, according to NBC News. After a brief search, they were unable to find the boy. Sometime later, the boy sent another, more detailed message, which allowed officers at the house to finally locate him. Five people have been arrested for their involvement in the crime, according to the Mail. The arrested include the boy's father and stepmother. All five have been charged with some combination of false imprisonment, obstruction, and child cruelty. The identities of the boy and those arrested have not yet been made public and the police investigation is ongoing. It is possible that the five people arrested by police may face additional charges. The boy has since been reunited with his mother, who traveled to Atlanta from Florida to collect him, according to the Mail.
