Missing boy found in own basement leaves hospital


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DETROIT (AP) — A 12-year-old Detroit boy who went missing for a dozen days before turning up in his own basement is out of the hospital but hasn't been allowed to see his father and stepmother, police said Thursday.

Charlie Bothuell V was evaluated by doctors Wednesday night after he was found in a shared utility and storage area of the multiple-unit condo near downtown Detroit, said Sgt. Mike Woody, a police spokesman.

Investigators were not allowing him to have contact with Charlie Bothuell IV and Monique Dillard-Bothuell as they now focus on the circumstances surrounding the boy's disappearance and his surprising recovery.

"Finding Charlie alive and well was obviously a big win, not just for us — the department — but for their family as well. So, we're all very excited about that," Woody said.

Woody would not say who was taking care of the boy Thursday.

The elder Bothuell, a nurse, reported his son missing June 14. The boy had been working out about 9 p.m., went to the restroom and never returned, Bothuell told police.

Officers had searched the home on at least three occasions since then, but stumbled across the boy apparently hiding behind boxes and a large plastic drum Wednesday afternoon. There was some bedding, soda bottles and cereal nearby, but police have said they do not believe the boy was in the basement area the whole time.

"It wasn't like he was living down there," Woody said. "It didn't give off that vibe.

"It wasn't situated in a way that would lead you to believe that he was being hidden or held captive and tortured and that sort of stuff."

The boy's father, who made tearful television pleas for help, said he had no idea his son was in the basement.

The Associated Press left multiple phone messages Thursday seeking comment from Charlie Bothuell IV and Monique Dillard-Bothuell. A message also was left with Bothuell's attorney.

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