šØ MISSING EAST BRUNSWICK TEEN FOUND HIDING IN BASEMENT CRAWL SPACE; MOTHER CHARGED š
East Brunswick police found a missing 17-year-old hiding in a basement crawl space at his mother's home. Authorities charged the mother, Jennifer Buckley, with obstruction for allegedly helping conceal her son's location during the search.
A missing-person investigation ended with police finding a 17-year-old boy hiding inside a crawl space at his mother's home, while the mother now faces an obstruction charge, authorities said.
The investigation began on September 15, when the teen's father contacted East Brunswick police at approximately 7:47 p.m. after his son failed to arrive for a scheduled 6 p.m. drop-off.
Police said the teen's mother, Jennifer Buckley, initially reported that her son was missing. She reportedly told officers that the teenager had been reluctant to go to his father's residence and expressed concerns that he could potentially be a danger to himself.
Due to those safety concerns, police entered the teenager into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as a missing person and launched a search involving patrol officers and detectives.
š As detectives continued investigating, they said they identified discrepancies in information provided to investigators and returned to Buckley's residence.
During a subsequent search of the home, officers discovered the teenager hiding inside a crawl space in the basement.
Investigators determined that the juvenile had remained inside the residence throughout the search and allege that Buckley helped conceal his location from police.
āļø Buckley was arrested and charged with obstructing the administration of law.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Charges are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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