COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The Colorado Springs Police Department is asking the community for help finding a missing child.
Police said 12-year-old Marcus Antwan Herrero was last seen on Friday, March 11 near the Boys and Girls Club in the 1400 block of S. Chelton Road.
They said Marcus is a student at Atlas Preparatory, and had just gotten off the bus in the area and was supposed to check in at the Boys and Girls Club, but never did.
In the past, investigators said Marcus has runaway, but was located within 24 hours.
They said they are still treating the case as a runaway, but added it may turn out to be a kidnapping investigation as detectives gain new information.
Meantime Marcus' adoptive parents just want him home.
"I do not know if he is safe, I do not know if he is eating right and taking care of himself," Marcus' father Joe Herrero said.
Herrero said his family and friends have been out searching for Marcus since he went missing and have been hanging flyers throughout town.
He said he and his wife adopted Marcus when he was 10 years old and are extremely worried.
"He is our only son, our only hope of being a family," Herrero said.
Herrero said Marcus comes from a troubled past, and added he and his wife have been working to give him some stability.
He said it is not like him to stay away from home this long.
In the meantime police said they do not think Marcus is in any immediate danger.
"Based on the total investigation, we believe he is out there and staying with somebody, so we believe people know where he is and we are urging them to come forward," Sgt. Steve Noblitt with the Colorado Springs Police Department said.
Along with Springs Police, the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are also helping with the investigation.
Noblitt said they do have to take into account Marcus' past actions.
"We do not have any indication that this behavior is out of character, but it is out of character for him to be missing this long, so we are concerned about that," he said.
In an attempt to find out more information, Noblitt said FBI agents may comb the area where Marcus was last seen.
His parents said they are thankful for all the help, and want Marcus to know he is missed.
"Come home, we love him, we miss him, and we need him," Joe Herrero said.
Marcus is 4'10" and weighs 89 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and polo with khaki pants. His right ear is also pierced.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call police at 719-444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP.
You can also text CSPD your tip to 847411 (TIP411).
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Original Story:
A missing boy thought to have originally been a runaway may now be in danger, according to Colorado Springs police.
Police said Tuesday 12-year-old Marcus Herrero had run away from home Friday. His adoptive parents reported him missing around 5:45 p.m., but police said in the past six months he had run away from home two times before and had been found within 24 hours each time in the same neighborhood.
The FBI and the Crimes Against Children (CAC) Unit are handling it as a runaway case but said it may turn into a kidnapping investigation if more facts are gathered.
Police said Herrero packed a bag before leaving Friday. They also said there have been problems in the home, which may have prompted previous runaway attempts.
Police said the CAC Unit has been investigating the case since Friday, and are now asking for the public's help in finding Herrero. They said he went missing in the 1400 block of South Chelton Road. They said agents are in the area questioning potential witnesses and neighbors.
Police said they do not know whether or not he is in danger. They will not issue an amber alert because the case does not meet amber alert requirements.
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