A fluke encounter led to a surprise reunion between a mother and her 12-year-old boy who authorities say was kidnapped four years ago by his father.
The father was arrested Thursday after an early morning raid at his Maplewood home. He was charged with kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.Sharon Scott said she was speechless when the FBI called her at work Thursday to tell her that they had found her youngest son, Brian Daniel Davis.
But Scott, 41, had plenty to say as she sat next to Brian in an FBI conference room before taking him to her Scotch Plains home later Thursday.
"He looks like the same kid - just 8 years old blown up," she said.
Appearing a bit overwhelmed by the day's events, Brian said little about his experiences, and authorities said they hadn't yet determined his whereabouts the past four years.
Brian's father, Charles Lee Davis, 43, took him from school on June 23, 1992, shortly after Davis' 18-year marriage to Scott ended with a contentious divorce and a joint custody ruling.
Scott had not seen the boy since, and four years of searching produced only a fleeting sighting in Ohio.
The break came Tuesday when Scott's brother and sister-in-law went to a discount department store in Watchung where they do not normally shop and spotted the father and son.
The boy's uncle did not approach Brian but gave a car license number and description to police, authorities said.