LAYTON, Utah — A 13-year-old boy who was the focus of an AMBER Alert in Utah on Tuesday is safe this evening.
This comes after he was found at a Nebraska gas station overnight. He was with 26-year-old, Aaron Zeman, who police believe kidnapped him.
The victim's mother, Heather McConney spoke with FOX 13 News Wednesday afternoon while she was headed to Grand Island, Nebraska, to reunite with her son, Evan.
"He's just my Evan," said McConney. "I'm ecstatic, I'm relieved, there's just so many emotions."
McConney says she got word early Wednesday morning that he son was found safe.
"It was sometime between three and four this morning," said McConney.
She says it took about 10 minutes to get ready and hit the road.
"We were told, hey, come pick up your son as soon as you can...I wasn't wasting another second," said McConney.
Police believe the teen was abducted by 26-year-old Arizona resident Aaron Zeman, who also goes by the names Hunter Fox and Tadashi Kojima.
Police report the suspect had been communicating with the teen through an Oculus device, before driving from Arizona and getting him to leave his home late Monday night.
Those hours not knowing where her son was is something McConney said she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.
"It is every parent's worst nightmare," she explained.
That nightmare, McConney said, began after she found out the suspect had been communicating with her son previously before she reported it to the Layton Police Department towards the end of November.
"She had brought in his phone and we had that and had we're going through issuing subpoenas and investigative requests with Twitter and text now and other places to try and identify the suspect," said Lt. Travis Lyman with the Layton Police Department.
Lt. Lyman explained they were waiting for the results of those subpoenas when Zeman ultimately found other ways to get in touch with the teen.
The two left Layton and traveled nearly 800 miles away.
Lt. Lyman said it wasn't until a clerk at a gas station in Grand Island, Nebraska noticed something was suspicious that police were able to locate the victim and arrest Zeman.
"We are grateful that they that this person was paying attention and saw that this car was and the people in it were hanging around longer than they should have," said Lt. Lyman.
McConney emphasized if that person hadn't said something, she might not be in the situation she is in now, where she is able to reunite with her son.
"I am forever in debt to this individual," said McConney.
While braving snowy conditions on the road on Wednesday, McConney spoke about what she is going to do, once she sees her son again.
"Other than just giving a big hug and not letting go, I don't even know what, I don't know what to say to him right now, 'I love you,' that's all that matters honestly," said McConney.
Lt. Lyman said there will be a charge related to kidnapping and also related to the online enticement that went on in the weeks leading up to this incident. Anytime somebody takes a 13-year-old without the parent's consent, that is considered kidnapping.
As far as other charges, Lt. Lyman explained they haven't been able to talk to either the victims or suspect to try and make some determination about what else may be charged.
In this case, where they did travel across state lines, Lt. Lyman explained that does make it a crime that could potentially be prosecuted federally.
