Current:Home > Scams13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -Financium
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-19 12:13:38
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! (16769)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- How many points did Caitlin Clark score today? Rookie overcomes injury scare in victory
- Former Indiana sheriff pleads guilty to charges that he spent funds on travel, gifts, other expenses
- Oyster shell recycling program expands from New Orleans to Baton Rouge
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- New Hampshire resident dies after testing positive for mosquito-borne encephalitis virus
- Baywatch’s Nicole Eggert Shares She's in a Grey Area Amid Breast Cancer Battle
- Jimmy Fallon Jokes His Kids’ Latest Milestone Made for a “Traumatic” Summer
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Going local: A new streaming service peeks into news in 2024 election swing states
Ranking
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Former WWE champion Sid Eudy, also known as 'Sycho Sid,' dies at 63, son says
- Miles Teller’s Wife Keleigh Surprises Him With Proposal and “Dream Boat” for 5th Wedding Anniversary
- EEE, West Nile, malaria: Know the difference between these mosquito-borne diseases
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Gun control initiatives to be left off Memphis ballot after GOP threat to withhold funds
- Lawsuit filed over Arkansas Republican officials blocking effort to close state GOP primary
- What Not to Wear’s Stacy London and Clinton Kelly Team Up for New Show After Ending Years-Long Feud
Recommendation
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Jenna Ortega Slams “Insane” Johnny Depp Dating Rumors
Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce Score Eye-Popping Podcast Deal Worth at Least $100 Million
Newest internet villain? Man files trademark for Jools Lebron's 'very mindful, very demure'
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
These Secrets About Mary Poppins Are Sweeter Than a Spoonful of Sugar
Montana doctor overprescribed meds and overbilled health care to pad his income, prosecutors say
LA to pay more than $38M for failing to make affordable housing accessible