Police: Missing 5-year-old Idaho boy was likely abducted

FRUITLAND (AP) — Police investigators in southwestern Idaho now say a 5-year-old boy missing since July was likely abducted.

Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff said during a press conference Thursday that the search for Michael Vaughan won’t stop until the boy is found.

Huff said no sign of the child has been found despite exhaustive ground searches in a 2-mile radius of the family home over the past few months. That increases the likelihood that Michael was abducted, Huff said.

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Michael was last seen outside near his Fruitland home on July 27 wearing a light blue Minecraft T-shirt, dark blue boxer briefs and flip flops. He is described as 3 feet, 6 inches (1 meter) tall and around 50 pounds (23 kilograms) with blond hair and blue eyes, and responds to the nickname, “Monkey.”

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At Thursday’s news conference, the boy’s mother, Brandi Neal, asked for help from the public, saying her family is broken without him.

“I’m here to ask you to please keep Michael’s face, his name and his story in every one of your hearts, your eyes and your minds,” she said. “If you know anything at all, if you know something, please, I am begging. This is my baby, this is my son. I need him home.”

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call Fruitland Police dispatch at (208) 642-6006 or to email findmichael@fruitland.org.