The search for a 13-year-old Wisconsin boy who reportedly fled with a gun and his family van has reached its third
As CrimeOnline previously reported, James Yoblonski took the family fan early Monday morning and drove away from his Reedsburg home. The van was later found on US 12 near Devil’s Lake State Park, and search crews found his cell phone and a campsite with some of his belongings nearby.
On Wednesday, Sheriff Chip Meister announced that searches were scheduled for the wooded areas adjacent to Baraboo Bluffs, a few miles away from the westernmost section of Devil’s Lake State Park. Searches were also carried out at the northern part of the Sauk Prairie State Recreational Area.
The search efforts would be supported by 10 K9 units, two airplanes, and a Black Hawk helicopter, NBC 13 reports.
Search continues for #missing 13-year-old James Yoblonski.
James was last known to be in the area of the Baraboo Bluffs near the western most portion of Devil's Lake State Park.https://t.co/SRQiUutQxM
— National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (@MissingKids) June 15, 2023
The boy’s father, William Yoblonski, told ABC 27 that James “is not someone who would run away” and considers the situation extremely dangerous after noticing a gun missing from their home.
“He [the father] just noticed that there is a handgun missing from the house, so that was one of the reasons you saw us release the fire department, the civilian personnel, and then we asked for the neighboring county, Columbia County, to come and help with the search,” Meister said Monday.
Meanwhile, search crews said they continue to eliminate areas, which will allow them to move on to other areas.
“We’ve uncovered a lot of things. But unfortunately, nothing at this point that’s been able to point us in the direction of trying to find James,” Patrol Lieutenant Steven Schram told 27 News.
“But in doing so we’re able to eliminate areas that he is not and it gives us another okay, we can move to the next option of where haven’t we been yet.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 608-355-4495.
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[Featured image: James Yoblonski/Sauk County Sheriff’s Office]