Still hope for Maddie as a child found alive 13 years after mysteriously disappearing.
By Oli Smith
5 November2015
THE hunt for Madeleine McCann has been given renewed hope after another child who has been
missing for years was found alive.
The hunt for McCann has been given renewed hope after Hernandez's recovery.
Julian Hernandez, who went missing when he was just five years old, has been miraculously recovered - but only after he applied to college.
The boy who disappeared in Alabama in 2002 was found thousands of miles away in Cleveland, Ohio living with his father who has since been charged with his abduction.
The case may give hope renewed hope in the hunt for Maddie, who disappeared in 2007 while on holiday in the Algarve region of Portugal.
Last month the hunt for missing Maddie was massively scaled back today after a eight-year long investigation.
The team of 29 British detectives who have been searching for Maddie will be reduced to just four who will focus solely on the child's disapearance.
However, detectives may be encouraged as Julian was missing for even longer than Maddie but still was found alive.
Julian, who is now 18 years old, was found after he struggled to apply for universities after his Social Security number was suddenly rejected.
When he approached a counsellor for help, his school realised that he was listed as a missing child by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
His father, Bobby Hernandez, 53, is currrently being held at a jail in Ohio.
He is expected to face felony charges, including interference with custody, that could send him to prison for one to 10 years.
The FBI became involved and worked alongside Alabama Police to track down the long-missing child and confirm his identity.
Julian Hernandez at the age of 5 and what he might look like today.
Bobby Hernandez, 53, is currently being held at a jail in Ohio.
His mother, who originally reported his missing, has been notified of his recovery.
She is reportedly "ecstatic" to find her son, however it will be up to Julian whether he wants to be reunited.
Lt. Kevin York said Julian Hernandez's mother was happy "but also somewhat hesitant because there had been so many false leads through the years".
He added that because Mr Hernandez is an adult, "it's kind of up to him now as to whether he wants to come back."
He said: "I've been doing this 25 years and its something I've never experienced before.
"That's the reason you never give up and you keep looking."
District Attorney Brandon Falls in Jefferson County, Alabama, said that it is unlikely that the boy even knew he was listed as missing.
The child went missing in August 2002 when his father offered to take him to pre-school.
His father, who did not have custody of his son, allegedly snatched the youngster and changed their last name to Mangina.
He also had withdrew large amounts of cash from his bank accounts and the case was listed as a suspected non-custodial parent abduction.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/617324/Madeleine-McCann-US-child-found-alive-years-disappearance52
