New Jersey mom charged with obstruction after 'missing' son found hiding in her crawl space

A New Jersey woman is facing criminal charges after police say she filed a false missing-person report for her teenage son, who was later found hiding in a crawl space in her home.

Jennifer Buckley, whose age was not released, was arrested and charged with obstructing the administration of law, the East Brunswick Police Department confirmed. The charge stems from an investigation that began Tuesday evening, when the boy’s father reported that the 17-year-old had not shown up for a scheduled drop-off.

According to authorities, Buckley told police her son was not at her home and that she could not locate him. She also said the teenager did not want to go to his father’s house and that she was concerned he might be a danger to himself.

Officers launched an extensive search, with patrol units and detectives dedicating significant time and resources to the case. Police also entered the teen’s information into the National Crime Information Center, a federal database used to track missing persons.

During the investigation, authorities said, detectives identified several discrepancies in Buckley’s account. A subsequent search of her residence turned up the boy hidden in a crawl space in the basement.

Officers determined the teen had been there the entire time and that Buckley had helped conceal him, police said. There was no evidence the boy had been harmed.

East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco praised the officers and detectives involved in the search, while also criticizing Buckley for allegedly providing false information.

“Whenever a juvenile is reported missing, particularly when there are concerns for that child's safety, our officers take the report seriously and commit the resources necessary to locate them,” LoSacco said in a statement. “I commend the patrol officers, detectives, and other personnel who worked diligently to locate this juvenile and ensure his safety. Providing false or misleading information to law enforcement undermines those efforts and unnecessarily diverts officers and resources away from members of our community who may need immediate police assistance.”

It was not immediately clear whether Buckley had obtained an attorney. Additional details were not released.