The stepmother of a 5-year-old Kansas boy missing since Saturday, Feb. 17, has been arrested in Wichita, Kansas, on child endangerment charges, police said.
Police announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21, that Lucas Hernandez’s stepmother, Emily Glass, had been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on two counts of child endangerment, reported KAKE.
“The charges are related to new information gathered during this investigation,” Deputy Police Chief Gavin Seiler told reporters.
“Officers and investigators have been working on this case non-stop,” he added.
Regarding the missing child Lucas Hernandez, we will have a media briefing at 3:30pm.
— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) February 21, 2018
Seiler did not give details about the alleged child endangerment incidents but said it related to Lucas and a 1-year-old child. He hinted that more charged could be added.
Glass reported that Lucas was missing on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. When police arrived, stepmother said she last saw the child at 3:00 p.m. in his bedroom before she took a shower and fell asleep.
His disappearance sparked an extensive search of his home, neighborhood and Chisholm Creek Park. The FBI also joined in on Feb. 19 as the search for the missing boy continued.
Relatives of Lucas said they were concerned about the welfare of the child.
The great-aunt of Lucas Hernandez said that she noticed signs of abuse before the boy disappeared.
Sally Rasmussen, who lives in New Mexico, told ABC News that she saw marks on the boy’s arms and cheek in a photo she saw of him last May.
Rasmussen said that she’s worked with at-risk youth before so is familiar with potential signs of abuse.
She reported the marks to Child Protective Services, and made another report in November when Lucas and his father, Johnathan Hernandez, visited her.
Missing Child. Name: Lucas Hernandez 12/3/12 W/H/M, brown hair and brown eyes, approx 4 feet tall and 60lbs. Last seen wearing black sweats, white socks, a grey shirt with a bear on it.
Last seen at approximately 3:00pm inside his bedroom. Any information please call 911. pic.twitter.com/56gvb5ffBq
— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) February 18, 2018
She emphasized that she did not believe it was the father abusing his son but rather that the abuse was from Lucas’ stepmother.
The father was out of town for work when Lucas disappeared, she said.
Authorities wouldn’t confirm they received reports of abuse.
“Currently, Wichita Police investigators, FBI investigators, and members of the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team continue to speak to individuals regarding the case and following up on any leads received through our tip line,” Wichita Police Department Public Information Officer Charley Davidson told KWCH on Feb. 21.
The search for Lucas continues and police urge anyone with information to contact the tip hotline.
Please RT pic.twitter.com/lgZjRIBiPf
— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) February 19, 2018
Lucas was born Dec. 12, 2012, has brown eyes and hair, is around 4 feet in height, and weighs about 60 pounds. The boy was last seen wearing a gray shirt with a bear on it, black sweatpants, and white socks.
“We hope we are going to be able to find Lucas and that he is alive and well,” Seiler said.
NTD Reporter Zack Stieber contributed to this report.
From NTD.tv
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