Current:Home > Stocks13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -Secure Growth Academy
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-14 15:29:08
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! (32)
Related
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Still in the Mood to Shop? Here Are the Best After Prime Day Deals You Can Still Snag
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall as dive for Big Tech stocks hits Wall St rally
- Golf's final major is here! How to watch, stream 2024 British Open
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Why Selma Blair Would Never Get Married to Mystery Boyfriend
- Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu not in WNBA All-Star 3-point contest
- Maren Morris addresses wardrobe malfunction in cheeky TikTok: 'I'll frame the skirt'
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- US judge dismisses Republican challenge over counting of post-Election Day mail ballots in Nevada
Ranking
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- More Americans apply for jobless benefits as layoffs settle at higher levels in recent weeks
- Golf's final major is here! How to watch, stream 2024 British Open
- Last Chance for Amazon Prime Day 2024 Deals: Top Finds Under $25 on Beauty, Home, Travel, Kids & More
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Georgia transportation officials set plans for additional $1.5 billion in spending
- Claim to Fame Reveals Relatives of Two and a Half Men and Full House Stars
- Taylor Swift sings never-before-heard-live 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' song in Germany
Recommendation
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall as dive for Big Tech stocks hits Wall St rally
We are more vulnerable to tornadoes than ever before | The Excerpt
Kourtney Kardashian Reacts To Mason Disick Skipping Family Trip to Australia
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
How to know if you were affected by the AT&T data breach and what to do next
Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams dies at 84
Greenhouses are becoming more popular, but there’s little research on how to protect workers