CLEVELAND -- A child who was reported missing 13 years ago from Vestavia Hills, Ala. was found in Cleveland on Monday.
On Oct. 30, the Cleveland Division of the FBI received information that Julian Hernandez, a child abducted in 2002, was living in Cleveland.
Authorities confirmed his identity in Cleveland on Monday. He was unharmed.
He was reported missing by his mother in August of 2002, according to Vestavia Hills Police Department in Alabama.
At the time, authorities believed the 5-year-old was taken by his father, Bobby Hernandez.
The Jefferson County District Attorney in Alabama told WVTM that Bobby and Julian were living under different names in Cleveland. When Julian, now 18, began applying to colleges, he learned the Social Security number that his father gave him could not be verified.
With help from his school counselor, Julian found himself on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database. That's when the FBI was tipped off.
Bobby Hernandez was arrested and charged in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on Monday. He is being held on charges of tampering with records.
In March of 2012, Bobby Hernandez provided false identification information to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to obtain a fake identification card. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
He will also face charges in Alabama for the abduction.
The Vestavia Hills Police Department released a statement Wednesday:
On November 1, 2015 the Vestavia Hills Police Department was contacted by FBI Agents from Cleveland, Ohio in regard to a missing child from Vestavia Hills. The child, Julian Hernandez, was reported missing by his mother in August of 2002. At the time of the abduction, it was suspected he was taken as non-custodial parental abduction. Members of the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force in Cleveland, with help from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Vestavia Hills Police Department, and the Birmingham Division of the FBI were able to locate and positively identify the child as Julian Hernandez.
The child's father, Bobby Hernandez, was arrested and subsequently charged Cuyahoga County Court in connection with the abduction. Hernandez also will face charges in Jefferson County for the abduction from 2002. The child's mother and family were notified of the child's recovery and that he was found safe and unharmed. The investigation is ongoing and Hernandez may face further charges at a later date.
VHPD would like to extend their appreciation to all of the agencies involved in this investigation.
Authorities are still investigating the case.
