After police allegedly uncovered a drug lab in his home, the father of a boy who went missing after having a “poor day” at school has been detained.
The kid was discovered after going missing in Sydney’s Hills District the previous afternoon and spending the night in freezing 4C temps.
When cops went to deliver the good news to the 28-year-old about 10.40 a.m. on Thursday, they allegedly discovered a locked room in his house with a hydroponic setup.
The father was detained and is being held in custody, but no charges have been filed as of yet.
Just before 9:30 a.m., a member of the public observed his 11-year-old son strolling along Annangrove Road near Joylyn Road.
The kid was freezing after spending the night outside, but on Thursday morning, he was helped by police and given food.
‘He was evaluated at the site by NSW Ambulance paramedics and had no visible injuries despite being out in the cold all night,’ police said.
The student was transferred to the hospital for additional evaluation, and plans were made to reunite him with his family.
The child had a particularly ‘difficult day at school’ on Wednesday before disappearing, according to reports.
The 11-year-old had not been seen since 4.45 p.m. on Wednesday when he was last seen strolling along Annangrove Road towards Rouse Hill in Sydney’s north-west, over two hours after getting off the school bus on the same road.
On Wednesday night, officers, 15 SES personnel, and PolAir conducted an exhaustive search of the region as temperatures dropped to just four degrees.
At 8 a.m. on Thursday, a multi-agency search began, with local police, the Police Rescue Squad, PolAir, and SES members scouring the area for clues.
Christopher’s ‘distressed’ parents contacted police when their son failed to return home on Wednesday afternoon, according to Superintendent Darrin Batchelor.
‘His family is quite upset, especially given the frigid temperatures overnight,’ he said to reporters on Thursday morning.
‘They’ve had a really trying night and have been searching all night.’
While police have stated that his disappearance is out of character, they have also stated that they do not suspect any wrongdoing.
A ‘large number’ of sightings were reported to Crime Stoppers, although they were most likely other students on their way to and from school.
To piece together Christopher’s movements, police investigated his public transportation Opal card details and called his extended family and acquaintances.
On Wednesday, a geo-text was issued to residents in the area.
The letter was not a hoax, police said, and they asked for any information on Christopher’s whereabouts.
He has an Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, stands around 120 centimetres tall, has a slim build, short brown hair, and brown eyes.