Todd Sabatini and his son Theo disappeared from their Illinois home on Saturday, Aug. 8
Credit: McHenry Police Department/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Todd Sabatini and his 22-month-old son Theo were found safe after going missing from their Illinois home
- The pair disappeared on Saturday, Aug. 8, after heading out on a walk together
- Security footage and tips led police to Milwaukee, where Todd was seen at a supermarket
A father and his young son who went missing on a “normal” walk after leaving their Illinois home have been found safe.
Todd Sabatini and his 22-month-old son Theo were reported missing on Saturday, Aug. 8, after they failed to return from a 12:00 p.m. walk near their home in the city of McHenry, PEOPLE previously reported.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, the McHenry Police Department (MPD) announced in a Facebook update that Todd, 36, and Theo had been found “safely” after a day-long search.
“Both Todd and Theo have been found safely by our detectives,” said the MPD. “We want to extend a BIG thank you to our community, local agencies, and Wisconsin agencies for assisting in the safe return of Todd and Theo. A statement from our agency will be forthcoming. Again, thank you to everyone for their tips and leads.”
No further details about the discovery or what led to the pair’s disappearance were shared.
Credit: Alamy
Authorities previously told PEOPLE that Todd and his son’s walks were a “normal activity” for the pair, but when they didn’t return at around 4 p.m. “family members became concerned.”
“Officers learned this is unusual behavior for Todd,” said the MPD, adding that the 36-year-old “also reportedly did not have the necessary provisions for an extended excursion with Theo.”
The MPD said in a Facebook post shared at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, before the father and son were found, that they’d received “reliable information putting Todd and Theo in Milwaukee” and were “actively conducting searches and follow-up investigation efforts in that area.”
The police also said they were “continuing to follow up on leads and tips provided to us as well as working with our law enforcement partners in both Illinois and Wisconsin.”
Credit: McHenry Police Department/Facebook
Security footage reviewed by the MPD showed Todd with Theo at a Jewel-Osco supermarket after leaving home together. The toddler’s stroller was also later found behind a local business.
The MPD previously told PEOPLE Todd later spoke “with someone at Taco Bell” and also “attempt[ed] to make contact with someone within Zion Lutheran Church.” He then took a rideshare to the Greenfield Police Department (GPD) in Wisconsin and “spoke with an officer,” before leaving “on foot” at around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
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“As this behavior is unusual, the MPD is actively working with the Greenfield Police Department to check the welfare of Todd and Theo,” the MPD previously said. “At this time, that is all the information being provided, as this is all still under investigation.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the MPD and GPD for further comment.
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