A New Jersey mother is facing an obstruction charge after police found her missing 17-year-old son concealed inside a crawl space at her home, authorities said.
The teenager’s father contacted police Tuesday evening after his son failed to arrive for a scheduled drop-off. Jennifer Buckley allegedly told officers that the boy was not at her residence and that she did not know where he was.
Buckley also reportedly said her son did not want to go to his father’s home and warned that she feared he could pose a danger to himself.
An East Brunswick police vehicle is seen. (East Brunswick Police Department)
“The East Brunswick Police Department initiated an extensive effort to locate the juvenile,” the department said. Patrol officers and other personnel devoted substantial resources to the search, while detectives continued investigating in the days afterward.
As part of the investigation, police entered the teen’s information into the National Crime Information Center and began identifying inconsistencies in Buckley’s account.
A subsequent search of Buckley’s home led officers to the boy, who was hiding in a basement crawl space. Investigators determined that he had remained there throughout the search and that Buckley had helped conceal him.
Authorities said there was no indication that the teenager had been harmed.
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The boy was found hiding in a crawl space in his mom’s basement. File photo. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Buckley was arrested and charged with obstructing the administration of law.
Jennifer Buckley was arrested and charged with obstruction. (Mykola Tys/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Whenever a juvenile is reported missing, particularly when there are concerns for that child’s safety, our officers take the report seriously and commit the resources necessary to locate them,” East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco said. He praised the patrol officers, detectives and other personnel involved in finding the teen and confirming his safety. LoSacco added that providing false or misleading information to police hinders investigations and diverts officers and resources from other community members who may need urgent assistance.
News Media has contacted the East Brunswick Police Department seeking additional information.