Current:Home > My13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -Global Finance Compass
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:35:28
It has been over a month since a 13-year-old boy walked away from his mom at an Arizona car wash as local authorities continue a fervent search for the missing teen who has little familiarity with the area.
Elijah Gumbus has been missing since Aug. 31 and surveillance footage from the Weiss Guys Car Wash in Maricopa County, which USA TODAY obtained, shows the moments leading up to his disappearance. The boy, who is wearing a red shirt in the video, is seen hopping out of his mother's car and jogging west.
Elijah's mother can be heard in the footage calling out his name multiple times before the video cuts off.
“There's a lot of areas there that he could have either met with somebody or taken off or hid or something like that, but at the moment, that's the only information that we had and the only surveillance that we had in the area that was able to pick him up in a direction of travel," Tolleson police Lt. Lee Garrett told KPNX.
USA TODAY contacted Tolleson police on Wednesday but has not yet received a response.
'We're extremely concerned'
As the search continues for Elijah, Garrett said the department has a "detective that is 100% dedicated to just this case at this point," KPNX reported.
“We're extremely concerned," the lieutenant said. "We're very involved."
At the time of Elijah's disappearance, his mother was driving from California to Louisiana for her work, according to Garrett, per the Arizona-based TV station. The mother and son stopped at the car wash, and while she was cleaning the vehicle, Elijah jogged away, the lieutenant said.
Neither Elijah nor his mother have ties to Arizona, which makes this case even more problematic and worrisome, Garrett told KPNX. There have been custody issues between Elijah's father and mother, but neither live in Arizona, and police have confirmed that the child is not with either of them, the TV station reported.
“What's most concerning is his age and the fact that he doesn't have ties to Arizona or any family here. We don't know how he would have connected with somebody here, or if he just simply ran away,” according to Garrett. “He's not a very big kid, so he's somebody that would stand out. He's got a very young face. So we're hoping that somebody will see this and realize that if he's on the streets, or if he's with somebody he shouldn't then they will call 911 immediately.”
Anyone with information about Elijah's whereabouts can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or Tolleson police at 1-623-936-7186.
veryGood! (655)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- At least 2 buildings destroyed in flooding in Alaska’s capital from glacial lake water release
- Turn Your Home Into a Barbie Dream House With These 31 Finds Under $60
- Watch PK that ended USWNT's World Cup reign: Alyssa Naeher nearly makes miracle save
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- A firefighting helicopter crashed in Southern California while fighting a blaze, officials say
- Russian warship appears damaged after Ukrainian drone attack on Black Sea port of Novorossiysk
- Fiery mid-air collision of firefighting helicopters over Southern California kills 3, authorities say
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Kyle Kirkwood wins unusually clean IndyCar race on streets of Nashville
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Woman found dead on Phoenix-area hike, authorities say it may be heat related
- Southwest employee accused white mom of trafficking her Black daughter, lawsuit says
- Trump lawyer says Pence will be defense's best witness in 2020 election case as former VP disputes claims
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Ex-Minneapolis officer faces sentencing on a state charge for his role in George Floyd’s killing
- Simone Biles wins U.S. Classic, her first gymnastics competition in 2 years
- 'Barbie' is the only billion-dollar blockbuster solely directed by a woman
Recommendation
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
Bella Hadid Shares Health Update Amid Painful Battle With Lyme Disease
Horoscopes Today, August 6, 2023
3 dead in firefighting helicopter crash after midair collision with 2nd helicopter
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Indictment ignored, Trump barely a mention, as GOP candidates pitch Iowa voters to challenge him
Ex-Minneapolis officer faces sentencing on a state charge for his role in George Floyd’s killing
Barr says Trump prosecution is legitimate case and doesn't run afoul of the First Amendment