ATHENS-A statement from Police Chief Floyd Johnson of the Athens Police Department regarding the disappearance of Jeremiah Michael Owens who was reported missing earlier this evening:
“I would like to thank everyone for your help this afternoon. I especially would like to thank the media for helping us get the information out to the public. I want to thank the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance and use of their helicopter, the Rescue Squad, The Department of Human Resources and numerous citizens that helped look for Jeremiah. Also I would like to thank Holly Holman for helping send the information out as quickly as possible.
This afternoon at 15:33 the police department received a call of a missing 4-year-old child. When officers arrived at the family’s residence on Irvin Street they learned Jeremiah had already been missing for over an hour. Jeremiah’s parents told us he was with them when they stopped at 1st Cash Express on Grass Avenue around 2:00. They said they left there and went to Jiffy’s on Market Street then to another store on Market Street before returning to their home on Irvin Street. The parents weren’t sure if Jeremiah was in the car or not when they left 1st Cash Express or if left the car while they were at one of their other stops. Officers were tasked with a search area from US 72 and Grace Avenue to Irvin Street.
At 6:40 this afternoon the police department received a call from Jeremiah’s Grand Mother saying he was brought to her house by a family acquaintance. When investigators interviewed the acquaintance they were told Jeremiah’s parents stopped by their residence earlier in the afternoon and Jeremiah got out of the car. He was playing with their children and they didn’t know he had been reported missing. Later in the afternoon they took Jeremiah to his Grandmother and found out he had been reported missing. When talking with Jeremiah’s parents they didn’t inform officers they had stopped at the acquaintances residence. The investigation into this case will continue over the next several days.”
