Current:Home > reviews13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing. -Aspire Money Growth
13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
View
Date:2025-04-16 09:57:05
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! (4365)
Related
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Sailor arrives in Hawaii a day after US Coast Guard seeks public’s help finding him
- Person in custody after shooting deaths of a bartender and her husband at Wisconsin sports bar
- Applebee's makes more Date Night Passes available, but there's a catch
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Ex-NFL quarterback Favre must finish repaying misspent welfare money, Mississippi auditor says
- When is Super Bowl halftime show? Here's when you should expect to tune in to watch Usher
- Hospitalization delays start of ex-Illinois state senator’s federal fraud trail
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- California could legalize psychedelic therapy after rejecting ‘magic mushroom’ decriminalization
Ranking
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Normally at a crawl, the Los Angeles River threatens to overflow during torrential rains
- Eagles will host NFL’s first regular-season game in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6
- Why Michael Douglas is playing Ben Franklin: ‘I wanted to see how I looked in tights’
- Small twin
- Carl Weathers was more than 'Rocky.' He was an NFL player − and a science fiction star.
- McDonald’s franchisee agrees to pay $4.4M after manager sexually assaulted teen
- Super Bowl overtime rules: What to know if NFL's biggest game has tie after regulation
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Heidi Klum Reveals One Benefit of 16-Year Age Gap With Husband Tom Kaulitz
Service has been restored to east Arkansas town that went without water for more than 2 weeks
Messi says he “feels much better” and hopeful of playing in Tokyo after PR disaster in Hong Kong
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Gypsy Rose Blanchard to Explore Life After Prison Release in New Docuseries
Super Bowl should smash betting records, with 68M U.S. adults set to wager legally or otherwise
Toby Keith Dead at 62: Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and More Pay Tribute