In August 2002, 5-year-old Julian Hernandez vanished without a trace. His father was supposed to have taken the child to preschool that day, but the boy was never dropped off.
On Sunday, after 13 years, Hernandez was found alive in Cleveland, Ohio. He is now 18.
According to police, the boy’s father, 53-year-old Bobby Hernandez, has been arrested.
Vicki Anderson, a Cleveland-based FBI agent, told Al.com that the agency had "received information on Oct. 30 that a local teenager may be a missing child from Alabama."
The teen was found a couple of days later, safe and unharmed. The Vestavia Hills Police Department said his mother, who first reported his abduction, has been notified of his recovery.
Bobby Hernandez was arrested and has been charged with one count of tampering with records. Authorities in Ohio say an investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
The father could also face charges in Jefferson County, Alabama in connection with the abduction.
Julian Hernandez was reported missing on August 28, 2002. At the time of the abduction, his dad, who did not have custody, was suspected by police to have been involved in the crime.
According to Lighting Their Way Home, a missing children database, the boy's father had agreed to take the child to preschool that day but is said to have withdrawn money from his bank accounts before fleeing. The father also took some of the boy’s possessions with them, including some clothing and a stuffed orca whale.
Authorities say that man and his son have apparently been living in Cleveland since then.
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