Missing Palatine boy found unharmed in Chicago

A Palatine child who went missing was located Friday night, authorities said.

An Amber Alert was issued after 5 p.m. for 8-year-old Eriberto Perez, who was taken from the 400 block of West Palatine Road about 8:30 p.m. Thursday by William Cruz, believed to be the boyfriend of the child’s mother, according to the Palatine Police Department.

A state trooper stopped a vehicle matching the description of Cruz’s car at Madison Street and Springfield Avenue at 9:47 p.m. Friday in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood. The boy was found unharmed, and Cruz was taken into custody without incident, according to Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk of the Illinois State Police.

The child was taken to Mt. Siani Hospital for evaluation.

Sgt. Dave Daigle of the Palatine Police Department said late Friday that police would be seeking charges against Cruz.

About 10:50 p.m. Thursday, the boy’s mother told police that her son and boyfriend had gone shopping at a local grocery store but hadn’t returned. While Cruz is not the boy’s biological father, Eriberto’s mother gave permission to take her son along, “with the understanding that they would be back shortly,” according to a news release from the Palatine Police Department.

The mother called Cruz on his cellphone about 50 minutes after they left to go shopping, and Cruz said they were going to a relative’s house in Chicago. The mother then asked Cruz to bring her son home, which he refused, police said.

Since that point, Cruz’s cellphone had been turned off.

Daigle said that Cruz was spotted twice on Friday — at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. — near the intersection of Pulaski Road and Armitage Avenue in Chicago, where Cruz’s cousin lives.