Current:Home > Scams13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -WealthGrow Network
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-13 10:29:00
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! (67)
Related
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Truck driver faces manslaughter charges after 5 killed in I-95 crash, North Carolina officials say
- Hurry! Shop Wayfair’s Black Friday in July Doorbuster Deals: Save Up to 80% on Bedding, Appliances & More
- Prisoners fight against working in heat on former slave plantation, raising hope for change in South
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Company says manufacturing problem was behind wind turbine blade breaking off Nantucket Island
- 'A beautiful soul': Arizona college student falls to death from Yosemite's Half Dome cables
- Dylan Cease throws second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history, 3-0 win over Washington Nationals
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Allergic reaction sends Filipino gymnast to ER less than week before she competes
Ranking
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Get an Extra 40% Off Madewell Sale Styles, 75% Off Lands' End, $1.95 Bath & Body Works Deals & More
- American surfer Carissa Moore knows Tahiti’s ‘scary’ Olympic wave. Here’s how she prepared
- Automakers hit ‘significant storm,’ as buyers reject lofty prices at time of huge capital outlays
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Jennifer Aniston hits back at JD Vance's viral 'childless cat ladies' comments
- Former Kentucky lawmaker and cabinet secretary acquitted of 2022 rape charge
- Biden signs bill strengthening oversight of crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons
Recommendation
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Taylor Swift's BFF Abigail Anderson Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Charles Berard
Former Kentucky lawmaker and cabinet secretary acquitted of 2022 rape charge
House Republicans vote to rebuke Kamala Harris over administration’s handling of border policy
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Watch Simone Biles nail a Yurchenko double pike vault at Olympics podium training
Judge threatens to sanction Hunter Biden’s legal team over ‘false statements’ in a court filing
North Korean charged in ransomware attacks on American hospitals