A 13-year-old boy reported missing four years ago was found behind a "false wall" in the suburban-Atlanta home of his father and stepmother on Friday, according to NBC News, citing police reports.
The unidentified child reportedly used a smartphone to contact his sister online, and she gave the message to their mother, Clayton County, Ga., police Capt. Angelo Daniel told NBC News. The boy's biological mother then called police and gave them the address of where the boy might be, the report says.
Police reportedly checked on the home in Jonesboro, Ga., but five people inside the house denied having any connection with the boy, police said. Investigators left but received a second call from the mom that made them return and perform a more thorough search.
During the second search, the young boy was able to call his mother, who handed off important information to the officers on scene, which led them to the child, the report says.
The father and stepmother—Gregory Jean, 37, and Samantha Joy Davis, 42—and three others were charged with obstruction, false imprisonment and cruelty to children, according to AFP News.
Five people—two adults and three juveniles—in the home were charged with obstruction, false imprisonment and cruelty to children, according to the Clayton County Police Department, which said that additional charges are pending, the report says. The two adults are the teen's father and stepmother, Daniel said, the news outlet writes.
Citing local media reports, NBC says the child's father refused to return him to his mother during a visit in 2010. The mother, who lives out of state, reunited with her son in Georgia on Saturday, the report says.