Current:Home > Scams13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -VisionFunds
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-18 15:41:16
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! (93852)
Related
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- LeBron James, JJ Redick team up for basketball-centric podcast
- Jimmie Allen's former manager agrees to drop sexual assault lawsuit, stands by accusation
- Bengals sign former Pro Bowl tackle Trent Brown to one-year deal
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Sports Illustrated to live on, now with new publisher in tow
- Bill and Lisa Ford to raise $10M for Detroit youth nonprofit endowments
- After sailing around the world, Cole Brauer says she's more grounded than ever
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Dust-up
Ranking
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Chocolate is getting more expensive as the global cocoa supply faces a shortage
- See Jax Taylor Make His Explosive Vanderpump Rules Return—and Epically Slam Tom Sandoval
- Take 50% Off It Cosmetics, 50% Off Old Navy, 42% Off Dyson Cordless Vacuums & More Daily Deals
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- US marriages surpass 2 million for first time in years as divorce rates decline: CDC
- FTC to send nearly $100 million in refunds to customers of Benefytt's fake health plans
- Watch Orlando Bloom Push Himself to the Limit in Thrilling To The Edge Trailer
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Unilever is cutting 7,500 jobs and spinning off its ice cream business
US women will shoot for 8th straight gold as 2024 Paris Olympics basketball draw announced
Fabric and crafts retailer Joann files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: What to know
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Brittany Cartwright Reveals if Jax Taylor Cheating Caused Their Breakup
Washington's cherry trees burst into peak bloom, crowds flock to see famous blossoms
Prepare for the Spring Equinox with These Crystals for Optimism, Abundance & New Beginnings