Gathering of hope for missing child
An Indianapolis mother says a prayer of protection for her baby's safe return. Loved ones and supporters joined Sandra Young for a gathering of hope outside the Statehouse Saturday afternoon.
9:36 a.m. EST, January 31, 2011
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Indianapolis — An Indianapolis mother says a prayer of protection for her baby's safe return. Loved ones and supporters joined Sandra Young for a gathering of hope outside the Statehouse Saturday afternoon.
Jacob was eight-months-old when Young says the boy's father, Maurice Young, took him. The two were last spotted at a homeless shelter in Atlanta.
Indiana authorities issued an Amber Alert for Jacob about a month after his disappearance. The FBI is now involved in the search.
Indiana mother searching for missing 8-month-old
Wrapped presents still sit untouched underneath the tree, awaiting little Jacob Young who never celebrated his very first Christmas.
By Heather MacWilliams Fox59
9:07 p.m. EST, January 10, 2011
wxin-indiana-mother-searching-for-m-01102011
Indianapolis —
Wrapped presents still sit untouched underneath the tree, awaiting little Jacob Young who never celebrated his very first Christmas.
Jacob's father Maurice Young took Jacob to run errands Dec. 23, just one day after Sandy Young told him she wanted a divorce. But when his text messages abruptly stopped, she said knew something was horribly wrong.
"I found the numbers for Nashville and knew that he was probably gone," Sandy said.
She said called that number and was connected to a homeless shelter in Nashville, TN.
"I jumped in my car and I just started driving."
When she arrived, her suspicions were confirmed.
"The officer came and confirmed that he was there with Jacob and called me and said, 'you don't have a court order, legally there's nothing I can do," she said.
But Sandy's attorney disagrees.
Since the baby was born out of wedlock, state law says the biological mother has sole custody.
When Sandy filed a petition for her child to be immediately returned, she hit another road block.
"I have information that he's not even with his dad. Maurice has been spotted with Jacob in Atlanta, and then spotted Friday and Saturday without him in Atlanta. I don't know if he's dead or alive," she said.
Panicked, Sandy said she contacted police again.
"Missing persons still refused to take a report. I feared for Jacob's safety and the police came and told me again...its civil quit calling us," Sandy said.
Taking matters into her own hands, Sandy created fliers giving them to anyone who would listen.
She said she is desperate and wondering why the system is failing her.
"Why is there an eight-month-old baby who cannot protect himself and no one cares about where he's at or whether he's safe? Why is that?," she said.
Sandy said she has been asking those questions for nearly a month.
Questions she said she'll continue to ask until her son is safe, back in his own bed, in his own home, opening Christmas presents from Santa.
"I'm very desperate. I just want Jacob home. I want to know that he's safe. And I need some help. I've done everything that I can do," she said.
Sandy's petition for the immediate return of her child and a petition to establish temporary sole custody have both been denied.
She has a hearing in court this Thursday to fight that ruling.
