BRENDAN CHOBOD - 11 yo / Disabled - Isabella County MI

Michigan State Police have issued an Amber Alert out of Isabella County.

Eleven-year-old Brendan Michael Chobod went missing Friday afternoon from a trailer near Chippewa and M-20.Chobod is 4 feet 8 inches, 55 pounds, and has blue eyes with brown hair.He was last seen napping at his home, but was gone when someone checked on him at about 2:30 p.m.Authorities said they believe he is in danger.Authorities
said they are looking for a gray GMC van with the license plate
CAT2531, which may be driven by Andrew Smith. Authorities said Smith is
not a kidnapping suspect.Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Isabella County Sheriff's Office.

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The Isabella County Sheriff's Office has issued an Amber Alert for a missing 11-year-old boy.
Brendan Michael Cohbod was last seen napping at his home in a
trailer near Chippewa and M-20. He was gone when checked on at 2:30pm.
Cohbod is considered to be in danger, and has a severe mental and
physical disability. He is described as being 4'8" tall, 55 pounds, and
has blue eyes and brown hair. There is no description of his clothing.
Police are looking for a vehicle that may be involved: a gray, GMC
van, license number CAT2531, which may be driven by Andrew Smith, who
is not considered to be a kidnapping suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Isabella County Sheriff's Office at 989-773-1000.

An Amber Alert is still out for 11 year-old Brendan Chobod, missing
since Friday morning. The Isabella County Sheriff's Department still
does not know if he was kidnapped or wandered off, but they say he is
in extreme danger.

Brendan disappeared from his home on M-20 in Chippewa Township, east of Mount Pleasant.

The
Sheriff's department called off the bulk of the search at dark, but K-9
searchers will continue to look for Brendan overnight. The main search
will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday.

In the meantime, Brendan's family and friends are just hoping to find him soon.

His mother, Jackie Chobod, and neighbors distributed fliers with Brendan's face on it this afternoon.

"We've
got 'em posted at every gas station, every store, every trailer, every
home that we can stop at to do it," Jackie Chobod said. "He's
wonderful. He's very well mannered, he always asks if he can or can't
do something."

"It could be simple Brendan decided to walk away. We don't know at this point," Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said.

The sheriff says a babysitter was in charge of watching Brendan at his home since eight Friday morning, but didn't see him.

"The babysitter just assumed Brendan was still in bed sleeping," Sheriff Miodszewski said.

Early
Friday afternoon, the sheriff says the babysitter checked on Brendan,
and he was gone. His mother says it's not like him to wander off--he
usually asks permission.

"We're all praying that we find him," Minde Lux, volunteer searcher, said.

More
than 60 volunteers and officers came out to search for Brendan on ATVs
and in a helicopter. The sheriff department's hovercraft also combed
the nearby Chippewa River, and the National Center for the Exploitation
of Children, the FBI, the Red Cross CERT Team are helping with the
search.

"We also have a blood hound K-9 team coming in from
Grand Rapids, actually they will be working through the night," Sheriff
Mioduszewski said.

The sheriff says no matter why Brendan is
missing, he's in extreme danger because of a mental disability, asthma
and a severe allergy to bee stings.

"This is the time when bees
are out and about, so we've got several concerns with this whole
situation," Sheriff Mioduszewski said.

Until searchers find Brendan, his family can only wait and hope.

"I just want him to come home. It's been all day, and it isn't like him to go out of the yard," Jackie Chobod said.

Here
is a description of Brendan: He's four feet, eight inches tall, 55
pounds and has blue eyes and brown hair. He also has a tracheotomy scar
on his neck.

Deputies are also looking for a grey GMC van with
license plate number: CAT2531. They say the van may be driven by Andrew
Smith of Midland County, who is not considered a kidnapping suspect,
but they would like to speak with him.

The Isabella County
Sheriff's Department may need more volunteers Saturday when they take
up the search again at 9 a.m. The central command is at the Shepherd
Tri-Township Fire Department in Chippewa Township on M-20.

If you have any information about Brendan, call 911 or the Isabella County Sheriff's Office at 989-773-1000.

The Isabella County Sheriff's Department is searching for Andrew A.
Smith, a person of interest in the Friday morning disappearance of
11-year-old Brendan Michael Chobod.
Smith is a 5'6", 140-pound 21-year-old with brown hair who may be driving a gray GMC van with the license plate CAT2531.
Chobod was taken from a trailer near Chippewa and
M-20 on Friday morning, officials say. He is 4'8", weighs 55 pounds,
and has brown hair and blue eyes. He has a stoma scar on the back of
his neck.
He was napping at home and was gone when checked upon there. His mother says he has the mentality of a five-year-old.
Authorities do not have a clothing description.
With any information on Chobod, Smith, or a vehicle, call 911 or (866) 560-9620.

UPDATE -- The FBI is now involved in the search for an 11-year-old Isabella County boy, missing from his home since Friday.
Brendan Michael Chobod was last seen napping at home near Chippewa
and M-20. He is 4-feet 8-inches tall, 55 pounds and has blue eyes and
brown hair. Officials
say he was resting in a trailer, but was gone when someone checked on
him at 2:30 Friday afternoon. They believe he was taken sometime
between 8-11:30 Friday morning. Authorities believe he's in
extreme danger. Brendan's family says he suffers from asthma and is
severely allergic to bee stings, but has no medication with him.A gray GMC van with license number CAT 2531 may be involved in his disappearance. It may be driven by Andrew Smith, 21. Authorities identify Smith as a family friend who has served as a father figure to Brendan. Police are calling Smith a person of interest, not a suspect. Smith
was recently convicted of felony drug charges and awaits a sentencing
hearing sometime in the next few weeks. It's thought that he may have
taken Brendan to have some private time with him before the sentencing
takes place. During a Saturday morning news conference,
investigators said that Smith had recently been evicted from the same
trailer park where Brendan lives. Since then, he's been living with
friends and family. No has seen him since Brendan was reported missing. The
Michigan State Police also joined the Isabella County Sheriff's
Department in the search. Helicopters, hovercraft and tracking dogs are
being used. More than 150 volunteers have joined the search as well. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has been notified and has Brendan's information posted online. If you have any information, call the Isabella County Sheriff's
Department or call the Brendan Chobod tip line at 866-560-9620.

11-year-old Brendan Chobod has been found,
according to the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department. The boy was
located with Andrew Smith in Sandusky, Ohio. Authorities say he
appeared to be in good health, but will be examined by medical
personnel as a safety precaution. Chobod was with Andrew Smith who was
arrested on charges unrelated to the disappearance. He was found to be
in violation of bond conditions. Special Agents with the
Sandusky office of the FBI made the arrest. The prosecutor’s office
will review the case to determine what, if any charges may be filed
against Smith. Chobod was reported missing on Friday. He was
last seen by his baby sitter. By 11:30am Friday, the sitter went into
Chobod’s room to check on him, but he had vanished. Investigators were
worried that medical conditions could contribute to any danger Chobod
was in. They say he has asthma and did not have any medication on
him. He was also said to have severe mental and physical disabilities. Sheriff
Leo Mioduszewski said Smith was a “big brother” to Chobod and used to
spend time with him, back when they lived in the same mobile home
park. Smith was evicted for legal reasons and was spotted in the park
a day before Chobod disappeared, leading his mother to wonder if Smith
was involved in the disappearance. Investigators were looking for a
grey GMC van with stripes on it at the time of the search.

Reunited with his mother, 11-year-old Brendan Chobod is on his
way home to Isabella County, but it may take a little longer for his
former babysitter and companion Andrew Smith, 21.

Chobod was
the subject of an Amber Alert issued Friday when he was reported
missing from his home in the Mapleview Estates Trailer Park. Local,
state and federal emergency response teams, as well as more than 100
volunteers, combed the area until dusk Saturday night, but found no
trace of the boy. Those volunteers included volunteers from the Lee
Township Fire Department, Midland County Sheriff's deputies and Midland
Police officers.
Smith -- who was found with the boy at the Cedar Point amusement park in
Sandusky, Ohio, late Saturday night -- faces possible criminal charges
and as of press time had not waived extradition from Ohio. That process
could take up to a week and a half, according to Isabella County
Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Smith, who formerly babysat Chobod, was arrested Saturday at 10:15 p.m. by Cedar Point police and
FBI agents when he and the boy returned to Smith's van, parked in a
section of the Cedar Point parking lot that remains open until 11 p.m.


Smith's arrest, however, was for violating conditions of his bond. He is
awaiting sentencing on felony drug charges in Isabella County.
Mioduszewski told the Daily News Sunday evening that Smith would not
talk about why he took Chobod out of state, but had requested an
attorney after his arrest.

He checked in at an area campground Friday night, according to registration records, and is
believed to have spent all of Saturday at the park with Chobod. Chobod
has asthma and severe allergies, and was expected to undergo a physical
before returning home.

Smith had initially been described as a "person of interest" in the missing child case, but by Saturday night
he was a suspect. Federal agents went to Smith's Sayre Street residence
in Midland with a search warrant. From his four computers, agents
traced website visits and cell phone tower traffic to hone in on the
possible Cedar Point location.

Mioduszewski said that Chobod's mother had indicated she "would not be surprised" if Smith had the boy with him.

"We didn't know for sure, though, until he was arrested," the sheriff said.

Isabella County is seeking Smith's extradition to face the bond violation
charges. Smith also could be subject to federal kidnapping charges.

"We'll complete our paperwork, and the FBI will complete theirs. Then the U.S.
Attorney and Isabella County prosecutor's office will determine who has
the best case (against Smith)," Mioduszewski said.

The boy was last seen sleeping in his bed at 8 a.m. Friday by a caretaker who
was watching television and did not realize the boy had left the mobile
home, the sheriff said.

After the boy's mother returned home and realized the child was not there, he was reported missing, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said the search by volunteers and others -- for five to six
miles around the home -- was called off Saturday night after the
sheriff decided the boy wouldn't have walked farther.

The sheriff's statement concluded: "This case would not have been resolved
in less than a day and a half if it were not for the relentless work
and cooperation between local and federal law enforcement officials.
There were more than nine law enforcement agencies that contributed to
the happy and successful conclusion to this case. The look of joy on
Brendan's mother's face will be something I will always remember as she
was notified that her son had been located and that he appeared to be
excellent."

Mioduszewski estimated that $10,000 in overtime cost was incurred by his office alone during the investigation.

An extradition hearing for a Midland County man accused of taking an
11-year-old boy from his home in Chippewa Township is scheduled for
Monday in Ohio.

Andrew Smith, 21, is being held without bond in
the Erie County Jail after the alleged kidnapping Friday of Brendan
Michael Chobod from the Mapleview Park West trailer park on East M-20.

Smith declined to talk to police investigating the case after he was arrested
by FBI special agents Saturday in Sandusky, Ohio, for violating bond
conditions, Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said.

If he is to be charged with a crime in Isabella County, he must be extradited
back to Michigan, or he could have waived that procedure and return
voluntarily, Miodszewski said.

Chobod, whose disappearance
triggered a massive search effort, was examined by a physician after he
was found with Smith and was in good physical condition, the sheriff
said.

There were no signs of any type of abuse, he said.

Chobod was interviewed by police Tuesday afternoon and was able to tell them
what happened and where the two went, but was unable to offer a motive,
Mioduszewski said.

Police are still investigating the case and
will take their findings to Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick
and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Bay City.

Because Smith crossed state lines with the boy, he could be charged in U.S. District Court in Bay City, Burdick said.

Sheriff’s officers and FBI agents are working together on reports and hope to
have them completed by the end of the week, Mioduszewski said.

Once they get the reports to Burdick and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,
prosecutors will determine what charges, if any, to issue and who will
have jurisdiction in the case, the sheriff said.

Chobod’s disappearance Friday sparked a massive search in the air and on the ground surrounding his mother’s home.

A medical helicopter from Covenant Healthcare in Saginaw flew in patterns
around the trailer park as volunteers from the Community Emergency
Response Team, Shepherd Tri-Township firefighters and police combed
areas where Chobod and other children were known to play.

As the investigation continued, more than nine law enforcement agencies worked
together to find Chobod, who is severely allergic to bee stings, the
sheriff said.

On Saturday, the search included support from two
helicopters, the Civil Air Patrol from the Upper Peninsula, and more
than 150 volunteers who combed a radius of five miles of woods
surrounding the boy’s home.

Police obtained a search warrant for Smith’s cell phone records and initially considered him a “person of
interest” after finding that he had been at the trailer park in the
days before Chobod’s disappearance.

Police found that Smith had been searching Internet sites in Sandusky and federal agents found the
two after showing a photograph of Smith to the owner of a private
campground near Cedar Point, Mioduszewski said.

Smith was a neighbor in the park who had earlier been evicted.

He is facing drug charges in Isabella County, the sheriff said.

When Joseph Rivard drove out to the airport on a bright Saturday
morning, he intended to take a short pleasure flight. He had no idea
he’d be asked to help on a hunt for a missing child.
Rivard owns a 1965 Piper Cherokee that he keeps at Mount Pleasant
Municipal Airport (KMOP) in Mount Pleasant, Mich. On Sept. 12, he
headed to the airport after waiting for early fog to burn off. “There
is nothing better than starting a day with an early morning flight in
the brisk September air of a Michigan fall,” said Rivard, who is a
professor at Central Michigan University.
As he drove onto the airport, he noticed that the security gates
were open. He knew that meant one of two things: Either snow and ice
had caused the gates to malfunction—unlikely in September—or an
emergency was in progress.
Driving toward his hangar, Rivard noticed several emergency
vehicles, Red Cross operatives, and law enforcement representatives in
the distance. Figuring it was a practice scenario of some sort, Rivard
preflighted the Cherokee and started the aircraft. As he taxied toward
Runway 9, the airport manager called him on the common traffic advisory
frequency. Was he up for a joy ride, or did he need to be somewhere
today? Rivard soon learned that a child abduction alert bulletin had
been issued for an 11-year-old boy. The local state police helicopter
had been called away on another emergency. Would Rivard be available to
take up a law enforcement passenger and conduct an aerial
reconnaissance?
Although he had never participated in search-and rescue-operations,
Rivard didn’t hesitate. He taxied back to the terminal area, where the
search-and-rescue team had set up a temporary command center. State
police showed him county maps of the local area and pinpointed two
grids of swampy and wooded terrain along a major highway. With a police
officer as right-seat spotter, Rivard flew the grids at about 800 feet
agl, keenly aware that this type of low-level maneuvering can be
harmful if you’re not careful. “There were times I needed to remain in
a holding pattern while command center plotted additional targets,” he
recalled. Turns around a point became critical and frequently used,
rotating both sides of the circle so that both the police officer and
the pilot had opportunities to scan the terrain.
By the time the land and aerial searches were concluded, police
determined that the child was not lost but had been taken by car and
transported across state lines by someone in the neighborhood. “The FBI
caught up with them in Ohio, and the boy was returned to his family,”
Rivard said.
Rivard is not sure whether he’ll get another chance to respond to
the directive, “Air Search 2, this is command center.” But, he said,
given the opportunity, he’d help out again. Donating a few hours of his
time and several gallons of avgas to help locate a missing child was
“very cool,” he said.

A 21-year-old Midland man was charged in Isabella County Wednesday with kidnapping an 11-year-old boy earlier this month.

Andrew Smith, who waived extradition at a hearing in Ohio Monday, was
arraigned by visiting Judge Edward Skinner on kidnapping-child
enticement and bond violation charges.

Skinner ordered Smith to remain in the Isabella County Jail on $750,000 bond on the kidnapping
and $100,000 on the bond violation charges.

Kidnapping-child enticement carries a maximum penalty of any number of years up to and including life in prison.

Smith, who is accused of taking Brendan Chobod from his home in the Mapleview
Park West trailer park in Chippewa Township Sept. 11, is facing drug
charges in Isabella County as well. He was on bond at the time of the
alleged kidnapping.

Smith, who was arraigned via video from the
Isabella County Jail, told the judge he has an attorney, Dan O’Neil,
but that he has not met with him to discuss the new charges.

Skinner told Smith that, if for any reason, O’Neil isn’t going to represent him
on the kidnapping charge to contact corrections officers in order to
get a court-appointed attorney.

During the arraignment, Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick asked for a high bond, citing
authorities finding Smith with the boy near Cedar Point amusement park
in Ohio during the late evening hours Sept. 15.

Burdick also noted that Smith allegedly carried out the crime while on bond for
another criminal charge, which barred him from traveling out of state.

Skinner apparently agreed that Smith is a flight risk.

“On the surface of it, this is a serious charge,” the judge said. “You don’t appear to have any stability.”

Skinner’s decision on bond came after Smith spoke of his previous jobs and residences.

After a massive air and ground search of the area surrounding Brendan's home,
police obtained a warrant for Smith’s cell phone records, finding that
he had searched Internet sites in Sandusky, and called upon FBI agents
to find the two.

Investigators initially called Smith a “person
of interest” because he had been seen at the trailer park in the days
before Brendan disappeared.

Smith had lived in the trailer park before being evicted in July.

He told the judge on Wednesday that he then moved to his grandparents’ home in Midland.

After his arrest in Erie County, Ohio, Smith remained jailed until Monday’s
hearing, then was brought Mt. Pleasant by Isabella County Sheriff’s
officers.

After Brendan was returned to his mother, he was
examined by a physician and deemed to be in good health with no signs
of physical abuse, Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said last
week.

Because Smith allegedly crossed state lines with Brendan, he could be charged in U.S. District Court in Bay City.

As of Wednesday, he was not facing any federal charges.