Lucas Hernandez still missing after 20 days. Police investigation continues
Police continue to search for a 5-year-old Wichita boy who was reported missing 20 days ago.
Detectives working the criminal case are investigating with information they already have and following up on new tips, Officer Charley Davidson said Friday. Police are also working with EquuSearch, he said.
Lucas Hernandez's stepmother reported him missing at around 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 17 at her house in the 600 block of South Edgemoor.
Police searched the neighborhood that night then at least five parks over the next two weeks, including Chisholm Creek, Dr. Glen Dey, Harrison, Cottonwood and Chapin parks. Over 100 law enforcement officers, including divers, used organized grid searches, horses, dogs, drones and ATVs to look for Lucas.
Active park searches were suspended, but police continue to investigate tips, Davidson has said.
Several volunteers formed their own search parties for Lucas after police left the parks, but found nothing associated with the case, Davidson has said. In one case, someone found a pile of rocks, prompting a park search by police.
Texas EquuSearch, a mounted team that searches for lost and missing people, came to Wichita on Saturday to look for Lucas. Davidson said Monday that nothing found by the group was associated with the search for Lucas.
EquuSearch suspended its own search on Monday when they went to work on another missing person case, the group announced on its website. The group said it will return to search for Lucas.
Missing Pieces Network said in a Facebook post that the family is asking owners of private land in Wichita and surrounding counties to search their properties.
Police have neither asked for volunteer searches nor discouraged them, but Davidson asked people not to disturb any evidence and instead call police. Officer Paul Cruz has urged residents to share any information linked to Lucas, no matter “how insignificant it might be.”
The tip line is 316-383-4661.
Emily Glass, 26, Lucas' stepmom, was arrested and later charged with child endangerment in connection with an incident with a 1-year-old. She remains in the Sedgwick County Jail on $50,000 bond.
An Amber Alert was never issued because there was no evidence that Lucas had been abducted, police have said. Last week, a Wichita police captain said, “I believe Lucas just didn’t walk out of the house.”
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. He attends Beech Elementary School.
This story was originally published March 9, 2018 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Lucas Hernandez still missing after 20 days. Police investigation continues."