MISSING BOY WITH MOM ALL ALONG!
AMissouri boy who had been missing for five months was found safe and sound — hidden in an attic with his fugitive mom! Braedence Jones was reported missing by his father in August, setting off a national manhunt.
Ryan Jones believed his estranged baby mama, Aubrey Ferguson, had kidnapped Braedence rather than return him after a week-long visit.
Ferguson, 30, allegedly texted Jones their son was safe, but she refused to tell him where they were. Surveillance footage from stores showed Braedence was with his mother, and authorities were able to ping her phone to determine they were moving around to elude capture, police said.
Acting on a tip received by the United States Marshals Service on Jan. 9, cops sped to a nearby home south of Jones’ hometown of Camdenton.
An initial search turned up nothing, but police then stumbled on a hidden crawl space in the home’s attic. Ferguson’s boyfriend, Woodrow Ziegler, had nailed the entrance of the crawl space shut, put carpet over it and pushed furniture against it before officials discovered the hideout, police said. “Ferguson was with the child in the crawl space when discovered,” the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said. She was arrested and held on two warrants, including felony child abduction. Ziegler, who is a convicted felon and was court-ordered to not be around Braedence, was also taken into custody. The boy was in good physical condition, but police are now helping his shaken dad to find counseling for the child.