Timmothy Pitzen, pictured before his 2011 disappearance.
A 6-year-old boy who went missing in 2011 after his mother committed suicide, has now resurfaced–possibly.
Timmothy James Pitzen, from Aurora, Illinois, disappeared mysteriously on May 12, 2011, when his mother took him out of an elementary school early and drove him to a Wisconsin water park, never to be seen again.
Her body was discovered on May 14, 2011, inside a motel room in Rockford, Illinois, following the apparent suicide. Left behind, was an ominous note saying that her son, Timmothy, was now safe with people who loved him and that “You will never find him.” And nobody has–until just recently.
In the town of Sharonville Ohio, police were asked by dispatchers to check a local Red Roof Inn Motel Wednesday morning after receiving a call from a 14-year-old claiming he had just escaped from two kidnappers who had been holding him hostage for several years.
The Sharonville police searched the Red Roof Inn but found nothing–prompting them to call other nearby law enforcement agencies to assist in the search. That’s when a teen who said his name was Timmothy Pitzen was spotted by bystanders sprinting across a bridge into Newport, Ky. They initially thought he might be trying to steal a car, but as they approached, they saw lacerations and bruises on his face. The boy asked for help, describing his kidnappers as two white, males with a Ford S.U.V. and Wisconsin license plates, according to the police report.
The police have not yet verified whether the alleged boy is really Timmothy Pitzen. Federal investigators plan to use DNA tests and other methods to determine his identity on Thursday evening. “We still have no confirmation of the identity of the person located but hope to have something later this afternoon or early this evening,” according to a statement made by the Aurora police on Facebook.
As authorities investigate the teen’s claims, Timmothy’s grandmother told the Associated Press that she was trying not “to panic or be overly excited.” The Anderson family has endured multiple false alarms about his return, so they have learned to keep their expectations low until claims have been confirmed.
If the teen is Timmothy Pitzen, it could be a symbol of hope for the parents of other missing children, providing a prime example that missing children do return home, even after long periods of time.
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