Police search for missing boy moves to Cottonwood Park

Police are asking residents who are out searching for a missing 5-year-old boy to not disturb anything that might be evidence.

Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson said Monday morning that members of the public who are searching for Lucas Hernandez should contact police if they find something that may be evidence. He advised people to stay put until police arrive.

Deputy Police Chief Gavin Seiler said on Wednesday that the search for Lucas is now a criminal investigation.

Officers started a new search at Cottonwood Park on Monday afternoon based on new information, Davidson said.

Members of law enforcement have searched several locations for Lucas since he was reported missing by his stepmother at her house on Feb. 17: Chisholm Creek, Dr. Glen Dey and Harrison parks and the neighborhood around the home in the 600 block of South Edgemoor.

Davidson said police had adequate resources to search for Lucas in those areas based on the information they had received. More than 100 law enforcement officers used police dogs, horses and drones to search the areas.

“These were not just searches where we had personnel show up and walk around,” Davidson said when describing the grid searches officers conducted.

Police divers searched bodies of water when the search returned to Chisholm Creek on Friday, Davidson said.

Emily Glass, 26, Lucas’ stepmom, was arrested last week on suspicion of endangering Lucas and a 1-year-old child. Glass has a 1-year-old daughter. She remained in jail Monday morning on $50,000 bond.

Davidson asked the public to continue to send tips to police at 316-383-4661.

Police have said that they found no evidence of an abduction, which is why an Amber Alert was not activated.

Lucas was born Dec. 3, 2012, has brown hair and brown eyes, is about 4 feet tall and weighs about 60 pounds. He was last seen wearing black sweats, white socks and a gray shirt with a bear on it.

This story was originally published February 26, 2018 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Police search for missing boy moves to Cottonwood Park."