Missing boy’s stepmom arrested; ‘This is now a criminal investigation’

The stepmother of Lucas Hernandez, the 5-year-old boy reported missing since Saturday, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of endangering him and another child, police said.

“This is now a criminal investigation,” Deputy Chief Gavin Seiler said at a City Hall news conference Wednesday afternoon.

It’s possible that more charges could be filed, Seiler said.

Emily Glass, 26, was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail shortly before 3:30 p.m. on two counts of child endangerment, records show. Lucas Hernandez still has not been found.

“We hope we can find Lucas and he is alive,” Seiler said.

When asked, Seiler said that one of the two children involved in the endangerment case is Lucas. The other child is 1 year old, Seiler said. He wouldn’t say more about the second child.

Relatives say that Glass has a young daughter.

The child endangerment case developed with new information revealed in the investigation of the boy’s disappearance, he said.

Police have many questions to answer in the continuing investigation, but he can’t elaborate, Seiler said.

Anyone with information related to Lucas’ disappearance is being asked to call the tip line at 316-383-4661.

“This incident has touched many in our community,” Seiler said.

This story was originally published February 21, 2018 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Missing boy’s stepmom arrested; ‘This is now a criminal investigation’."