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A New Jersey mother was arrested after her 17-year-old son, who was reported missing, was discovered hiding in a crawl space in her East Brunswick home, police said. The teen’s father contacted authorities on Tuesday (September 15) when his son did not arrive for a scheduled drop-off at 6 p.m. According to police statements, Jennifer Buckley, 48, told officers she could not locate her son and expressed concerns that he was upset and might be a danger to himself.
The East Brunswick Police Department launched an extensive search, entering the teen’s information into the National Crime Information Center database and deploying patrol officers and detectives to look for him. As the investigation continued, officers noticed inconsistencies in Buckley’s account. When they searched her home, they found the missing teen hiding in a basement crawl space, determining he had been there the entire time and that Buckley had helped him avoid law enforcement.
Police said there was no evidence the boy was harmed. Buckley was arrested on Thursday (September 17) at around 3:30 p.m. and charged with obstructing the administration of law. Patch.com reports that East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco commended the officers and detectives involved, stating, "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. 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."
The case remains under investigation, and Buckley faces legal proceedings on the obstruction charge. More information may be released as the investigation continues.