Court documents say that Lucas Hernandez, the boy who went missing from his Wichita, Kansas home almost two months ago, was seen with bruises, cuts, and black eyes before he vanished, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. The legal documents, filed in juvenile court, involve the 1-year-old daughter of Lucas’ stepmother, Emily Glass, who is now behind bars.
The court document, called a child-in-need-of-care petition, indicates the household in which Lucas and Glass’ daughter lived was “dysfunctional and violent,” according to The Wichita Eagle. The document was filed on February 23, indicating that Glass’ daughter was not safe in the home.
Lucas’ father, Jonathan Hernandez, often worked out of state and was gone for long periods of time, so while working, he left Lucas in the care of Glass.
The Wichita Eagle offers a cohesive timeline and details about what went on in Lucas’ home beginning on February 22, 2016, when Glass reported she and Hernandez were fighting.
Between that time and the day Lucas was reported missing, witnesses reported seeing numerous bruises on the 5-year-old boy’s face and body. In May of 2016, the Kansas Department for Children and Families received a report that Lucas was suffering suspected abuse. The report said that when asked about the bruising, Lucas said his stepmother, Glass, did not like him anymore, according to The Wichita Eagle.
In late 2017, while Lucas and Glass visited Lucas’ father in New Mexico, a report was made to the state’s child protective services indicating the boy had two black eyes. Not long after, witnesses say they saw Lucas with bruises on his body and a large bruise on his forehead, reports The Wichita Eagle.
The court document goes on to say that on January 22, 2018, when Lucas arrived at school, he had visible cuts and bruises, which Glass stated were from falling off the monkey bars at school. According to The Wichita Eagle, the school nurse said Lucas looked like he’d been in a fight.
In early February, Glass reported that Lucas’ father had hit one of her two sons during one of their visits with her. The child seemed to corroborate the event when interviewed by authorities a few days later, reports The Wichita Eagle.
Lucas’ last day of school was February 9, according to The Wichita Eagle. He had apparently missed several days of school so he had a note in tow that indicated he had been absent due to a stomach virus.
Lucas was reported missing by his stepmother, Glass, 26, on February 17 at around 6:15 p.m. She told police that she last saw the boy in his bedroom at about 3 p.m. Glass stated she took a shower and then fell asleep. She claims that when she woke up, Lucas was gone, according to The Wichita Eagle.
An Amber Alert was not issued for Lucas because, according to police, there was no evidence that Lucas had been abducted, reports The Wichita Eagle.
Glass was subsequently charged with child endangerment, according to KWCH 12. The complaint against Glass alleges that on February 16, a day before she reported Lucas missing, she smoked marijuana while taking care of her 1-year-old daughter.
The Wichita Eagle notes that Glass remains behind bars in the Sedgwick County Jail on a $50,000 bond, reports The Wichita Eagle.
According to KWCH 12, on March 14, a judge denied a motion to reduce the bond but Glass is allowed to have supervised visits with her daughter.
Lucas was born December 3, 2012, and is described as being approximately 4-feet in height and weighing about 60 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a gray shirt with a bear on it, black sweatpants, and white socks. Lucas is missing his top front teeth and has silver caps on his other teeth. He also has a small scar on the upper left side of his abdomen from a prior medical procedure.
The Wichita Police Department is urging anyone with information regarding Lucas to call on their tip line at 316-383-4661. Tipsters can also call 620-267-2111 or 620-268-4407.