A 12-year-old Detroit boy who was missing for a dozen days before turning up in his own basement has been turned over to his mother. His father found out about the boy's discovery during a live television interview.
Police say Charlie Bothuell V was out of the hospital Thursday after being evaluated. He was found Wednesday in the multiple-unit condo where his father and stepmother live near downtown Detroit.
Investigators weren't allowing him to have contact with his father Charlie Bothuell IV and stepmother Monique Dillard-Bothuell as they focus on circumstances surrounding his disappearance and recovery.
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They haven't responded to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment since he was found.
Police also said Thursday that Dillard-Bothuell was arrested on a probation violation related to a misdemeanor gun charge. Her two children have been placed into Children's Protective Services custody.
The father was informed live on Nancy Grace's HLN show Wednesday that his son was found alive in the basement of the family's Detroit home.
In a video that has now gone viral across the Internet, the elder Bothuell appears shocked by the news, clutching his chest and struggling to form a sentence.
"I checked my basement," he finally blurts out. "The FBI checked my basement. The police checked my basement. My wife checked my basement. I've been down there several times. We've all been checking. I want to see my son. I want to talk to my son."
Grace said that her team made the discovery mid-interview, and made the quick decision to confront Bothuell on the air.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said that his team found the boy crouched behind a makeshift barricade of boxes. Detroit police spokeswoman Jennifer Moreno told reporters from NBC News he had bedding, cereal, and soda with him.
"He was nervous but excited, and glad to see the police," Craig told reporters.
"I've never seen anything quite like this," Craig explained to reporters, saying his team had suspected homicide just hours before finding the boy. "But the outcome — I couldn't be happier."
The police say they had inspected the house the day before with cadaver dogs, and don't think Charlie could have made the barricade himself. They said they're not sure if he was there the whole time or not, and that the investigation is ongoing.
Charlie reportedly lives with his father Charles and his step mother. Charles took a polygraph test during the investigation, but the results were inconclusive. The step mother declined to take a polygraph test after her lawyer advised her not to.
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