A New Jersey mother is facing an obstruction charge after her missing 17-year-old son was found hiding in a crawl space inside her home, authorities said.
The boy’s father contacted police Tuesday evening after his son failed to arrive for a scheduled drop-off. His mother, Jennifer Buckley, reportedly told officers that the teenager was not at her home and that she could not locate him.
Buckley also reportedly said her son did not want to go to his father’s home and voiced concern that he could pose a danger to himself.
An East Brunswick police vehicle is pictured. (East Brunswick Police Department)
“The East Brunswick Police Department initiated an extensive effort to locate the juvenile,” the department said. “Patrol officers and other department personnel devoted significant resources to the search, while detectives conducted a follow-up investigation in the days that followed.”
As part of the investigation, police entered the teenager’s information into the National Crime Information Center and uncovered several inconsistencies in Buckley’s account.
During a search of Buckley’s home, officers found the boy concealed in a basement crawl space. Investigators determined that he had remained there the entire time and that his mother had helped hide him.
Authorities said there was no evidence that the teenager had been harmed.
The teenager was found hiding in a crawl space in his mother’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 in a statement. “I commend the patrol officers, detectives, and other personnel who worked diligently to locate this juvenile and ensure his safety. Providing false or misleading information to law enforcement undermines those efforts and unnecessarily diverts officers and resources away from members of our community who may need immediate police assistance.”
News Outlet has contacted the East Brunswick Police Department for additional information.
