New Jersey Mom Charged After Her ‘Missing’ Teen Son Was Found Alive in Her Basement Crawl Space
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A New Jersey mother was charged after police found her 17-year-old son hiding in a basement crawl space following an extensive missing-person search
Authorities allege that the mother, Jennifer Buckley, knowingly helped conceal the teen after telling police she did not know where he was and expressing concerns for his safety
The teen had been reported missing by his father, who lives at a different address, two days earlier
A New Jersey mother has been arrested and charged after authorities located her son hiding in a crawl space in her home following an “extensive” missing-person search.
Officers responded to a call from the father of a 17-year-old boy on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at about 7:50 p.m. local time, according to a press release shared by the East Brunswick Police Department (EBPD).
The man said his son was supposed to have been dropped off at his home at approximately 6 p.m. that day, but the teen never arrived.
Police then spoke with the teen’s mother, Jennifer Buckley, who claimed that he was not at her house and that she was unable to locate him, per the EBPD.
Buckley additionally told police that her son was “upset,” and she “expressed concerns” that he “may be a danger to himself.”
Authorities subsequently “initiated an extensive effort to locate the juvenile,” per the EBPD release.
“Patrol officers and other department personnel devoted significant resources to the search, while detectives conducted a follow-up investigation in the days that followed,” police added.
The juvenile was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as a missing person.
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However, further investigation revealed “several discrepancies” in Buckley’s initial story, per police.
This led investigators to revisit and search Buckley’s home, at which point detectives found the teen hiding in a crawl space in the basement.
Police determined that the teen had been at his mother’s home the entire time, and that his mother had knowingly helped conceal him.
Buckley was arrested and charged with obstructing the administration of law, per the EBPD release and public New Jersey Municipal Court records.
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“Whenever a juvenile is reported missing, particularly when there are concerns for that child’s safety, our officers take the report seriously and commit the resources necessary to locate them,” East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco said in a statement, per the EBPD release.
“I commend the patrol officers, detectives and other personnel who worked diligently to locate this juvenile and ensure his safety. Providing false or misleading information to law enforcement undermines those efforts and unnecessarily diverts officers and resources away from members of our community who may need immediate police assistance,” LoSacco added.
Buckley’s next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6, per public court records. It is unclear if she has legal representation at this time.
Read the original article on People
