Police have found and arrested the mother of an Indiana boy who went missing two years ago when he was three years old.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says Steven Bryan, who is now five years old, went missing on June 9, 2022. He was last seen with his mother, Deborah Bryan. The police say that he has been found safe.
Indiana State Police said that Steven was last seen with Deborah’s boyfriend Caleb Blevins in July 2022. Some news sites give different dates for Steven’s disappearance, but the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says he has been missing since June 2022.
People said that Deborah, who is 31 years old, took Steven from her home in Mooresville, Indiana, and stopped talking to Tyler Bryan, the child’s father. After more than two years, on July 9, the Mooresville Police Department said in a statement that they found Steven, Deborah, and Blevins at a home in Bloomington, Indiana.
WIBC reported that Mooresville Police Chief Kerry Buckner said Deborah “was just hiding [Steven] out” while she was allegedly fighting with the child’s father over custody. Deborah was held on a charge of interfering with custody.
Blevins could be charged if they found evidence that he helped Deborah, even though he hasn’t been charged yet. Tyler, who was getting a divorce from Deborah at the time Steven went missing, told PEOPLE in January that Steven has trouble speaking.
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Tyler said at the time, “He couldn’t talk. I don’t know if that’s gotten better.”
According to PEOPLE Steven was put into protective care after he got better.
It wasn’t clear right away if Deborah had made a plea or hired a lawyer to speak for her.
A probe is still going on.