Cops: Father his boy in crawlspace during custody dispute

BENTON -- The father of an Illinois boy who authorities say was hidden in his grandmother's home in a crawl space for nearly two years during a custody dispute says he's biding his time before he's reunited with his son.

Authorities in southern Illinois' Franklin County found 6-year-old Ricky Chekevdia along with his mother on Friday in the grandmother's home near Royalton.

The mother, 30-year-old Shannon Wilfong, is charged with felony child abduction. The grandmother, Diane Dobbs, is accused of aiding and abetting.

For now, the boy is a ward of the state staying with a relative of his father, Mike Chekevdia. A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday in Benton on the boy's living arrangements.

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