STEVENS PASS — A missing 2-year-old boy was found safe Wednesday afternoon after a search that spanned multiple counties. For much of the day, police were worried Dean Gordon might be wandering along U.S. 2 in Snohomish County.
The boy was headed from Wenatchee to Marysville in the care of a family friend. John Klingele, 45, suffers from severe diabetes and may not have taken his medication, said trooper John Bryant of the Washington State Patrol. The man had parental permission to be traveling with the boy, Bryant said.
Their exact relationship was unclear. Some were describing Klingele as the boy’s grandfather. Both are part of an extended family group, the trooper said.
The pair was believed to have left Wenatchee about 1 a.m. Wednesday. A statewide bulletin was issued just before 9 a.m. The pair was found by a trooper near Ellensburg shortly after 4 p.m. The boy had a minor ankle injury from an unknown cause and he was taken to the hospital. It was determined that Klingele had a suspended license and warrants for his arrest from another state, Bryant said.
Klingele was expected to be booked into an area jail after a medical evaluation at the hospital. It was not yet clear if he will face charges for Wednesday’s disappearance. Troopers had not yet confirmed whether the medical issues were a factor in what happened, Bryant said.
When Klingele is in diabetic distress, he is known to pull over to rest, Bryant said. Police initially were concerned the man may have had a medical emergency and the child could have been trapped in the car or have wandered off on a hot day.
Child Protective Services was notified of the situation, and the boys’ parents were believed to be en route to the hospital after being told he was found, the trooper said.
The pair was in a 2008 off-white Ford Expedition, Montana license plate 706957B. An electronic alert for the car was posted on highway signs throughout Western Washington.
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