A boy who was abducted by his father at the age of five in 2002 has been found alive.
CBS reports that the boy, Julian Hernandez, was taken by his father, who was supposed to have taken the child to preschool in Alabama that day.
Thirteen years later, Julian has turned up alive in Ohio. He is now 18 years old, and his father is under arrest. A reunion with his mother is planned for today.
The report says the abduction came to light when Julian began the process of applying for university, and his Social Security number could not be verified.
One of his teachers then located him on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database and tipped off the FBI.
Since locating Julian, his family have released an emotional statement that reveals they are “overjoyed” to know he is safe.
“Our family was overjoyed this week to locate Julian and learn that he is safe,” read the statement.
“We want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during Julian’s disappearance. Although we appreciate the interest our story has generated, we will have to decline any requests for interviews or additional information at this time. We ask that the media respect our privacy as we focus on Julian’s well-being during this difficult time in his life.”
