After five days of searching alleys, backyards and vacant areas in a several mile wide grid area of south C Street, Madera police have concluded its intensive physical search for 2-year-old Thaddeus Sran, but continue their investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance.
Sran was reported missing from his bedroom by his parents 8:30 a.m. on July 15. Police immediately began the ground search of the area that Wednesday in case the boy had wandered away from the house or had been possibly abducted.
The boy was born premature with special needs, had a feeding tube inserted and was non verbal and unable to walk on his own, according to investigators. It is not known how long he could survive on his own with those medical conditions, they said.
“The Madera Police Department is grateful for the support we have received from our law enforcement partners and community during the initial search for Thaddeus,” said Madera Police Chief Dino Lawson. “We remain committed to finding Thaddeus and thank the community and Thaddeus’ family for their patience as we continue our investigation.”
Lawson said investigators were waiting on laboratory test results to be processed, and had no new major leads or vehicle descriptions at this point.
More than 100 people had gathered before dawn over the weekend to search for Thaddeus. Groups of concerned residents also canvassed neighborhoods and posted fliers around Madera and searched for the missing, at risk boy.
In a statement the department said “We would like to thank Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Probation, Public Works, FBI, and CalOES for their support in today’s efforts. We have received numerous requests by our community to form ad hoc search teams. Although we appreciate your willingness, we have enough law enforcement personnel to support and cover the search area. What we do ask from our community is continued prayers for Thaddeus’ safe return. The family has put forth an award of $5,000 for information to find Thaddeus.”
The Madera Police Department and its law enforcement partners are continuing to investigate all leads that may help locate Thaddeus. Any residents who believe they may have any information on Thaddeus’ whereabouts are urged to contact the Madera Police Department at 675-4220. The line is answered 24/7.