Teen found by police says he is Timmothy Pitzen, Illinois child who disappeared 7 years ago

Teen found by police says he is Timmothy Pitzen, Illinois child who disappeared 7 years ago

A teenage boy who was found by police in Newport, Kentucky, says he is Timmothy Pitzen, who disappeared in Illinois seven years ago.

Police are working to confirm the boy's identity and have not publicly named him.

Sharonville, Ohio, police, who assisted in the investigation, released a report Wednesday afternoon detailing their role.

The report says Campbell County dispatch asked for local agencies to search Red Roof Inns and other area motels after the teen claimed he'd been held in one.

The teen told police he escaped his captors and proceeded to run across a bridge into Kentucky. The exact location was not disclosed.

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The report says the teen identified himself as 14-year-old Timmothy Pitzen, who vanished in May 2011, when he was 6 years old. His mother was later found dead in Rockford, Illinois.

Timmothy, originally from Aurora, Illinois, was last seen at a water park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

According to the Sharonville report, the teen said he had just escaped from two kidnappers, who had held him captive for seven years.

A teen found Wednesday in Newport, Kentucky, identified himself as Timmothy Pitzen. In 2011, when Timmothy was 6 years old, he disappeared after last being seen at a water park in Wisconsin. An age-progression photos shows a depiction of him as a 13-year-old.
A teen found Wednesday in Newport, Kentucky, identified himself as Timmothy Pitzen. In 2011, when Timmothy was 6 years old, he disappeared after last being seen at a water park in Wisconsin. An age-progression photos shows a depiction of him as a 13-year-old.

Newport Police Chief Tom Collins said his department received a call of a person "walking around the east side of Newport and didn't seem like he belonged there. ... Things didn't look right."

Collins said Aurora police are assisting the FBI and Newport police.

“You can only imagine the challenges we’re going through in the process of identifying who he is," Collins said.

Law enforcement has not released any details about possible arrests in the case.

However, the report says the teen described his kidnappers as two men who are strong in stature, one with a spider-web tattoo on his neck and the other with a snake tattoo on his arms.

They drove a newer Ford SUV with Wisconsin plates, according to the report.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Lousiville confirmed it was working with officials in Newport, Cincinnati, Hamilton County and Aurora on a missing-child investigation Wednesday.

"There will be no further statement made on this matter until we have additional information," the Louisville FBI said.

The boy was taken to an area hospital. Police say he is being interviewed by detectives and other uniformed officers.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted an age-progressed photo of Timmothy, depicting how he might appear today, as a 13-year-old.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Teen found by police says he is Timmothy Pitzen, Illinois child who disappeared 7 years ago