Real Name: Jesus De La Cruz
Nicknames: No Known Nicknames
Location: Lynn, Massachusetts
Date: September 28, 1996
Bio[]
Occupation: Minor
Date of Birth: January 3, 1990
Height: 4' 6"
Weight: 60 lbs.
Marital Status: Single
Characteristics: Hispanic male with brown hair and eyes. He has a scar above left eye, birthmarks on left calf and left forehead, and his left ear is pierced.
Case[]
Details: Six-year-old Jesus De La Cruz lived in West Lynn, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. On Saturday, September 28, 1996, he was pushing his bicycle home on Park Avenue with a friend when a stranger with a collie approached him and offered him a new bicycle. They walked off together leaving the friend behind, never to be seen again. The authorities and Jesus's family are determined to find him.
Suspects: The stranger who had approached Jesus was identified as twenty-six-year-old Robert C. Levesque who lived close to the Cruz home. He owned a dog matching the description of the collie (having one white eye and one brown eye). He also called in sick at his work on the day of the disappearance. Furthermore, handcuffs and duct tape were found in his apartment. He was arrested on an unrelated stolen vehicle charge but denied having abducted Jesus. The boy who had been with Jesus also failed to pick Levesque out of a line-up. Levesque later pleaded guilty to the stolen vehicle charge; he was never charged in Jesus's case.
There was some speculation that Jesus's disappearance was related to his family member's drug use. There was also speculation that his mother was neglectful, involved in drug dealing, and caused his disappearance. His father was also accused of abusing him and threatening to abduct him from his mother. However, they were never identified as suspects in the case.
Extra Notes:
- This case originally ran as a Special Bulletin on the November 8, 1996 episode along with Lance Guevarra.
- This case was also profiled of America’s Most Wanted.
- It was excluded from the FilmRise release of the series.
Results: Unsolved
Links:
- Jesus De La Cruz on Unsolved Archive
- Jesus De La Cruz on The Charley Project
- Jesus De La Cruz on the Doe Network
- Jesus De La Cruz on the FBI website
- Jesus De La Cruz on the Lynn Police Department
- Jesus De La Cruz on the NCMEC website
- Man held in Lynn; boy still missing - October 1, 1996
- Suspect in boy's disappearance released - November 27, 1996
- One year later, still no sign of missing boy from Lynn - September 27, 1997
- Two years later, hope not lost for Lynn boy who disappeared - September 28, 1998
- Lost in translation - January 26, 2007
- After 20 Years, Jesus De La Cruz is still missing - September 25, 2016
- 20 years later, Lynn boy who disappeared still missing - September 27, 2016
- Fireball Run team searches for missing Lynn boy - September 30, 2016
- 25 years ago today, Jesus de la Cruz disappeared in Lynn - September 27, 2021
- And Then They Were Gone Podcast
- Episode 310: Jesus De La Cruz: Part 1 - March 22, 2022
- Episode 311: Jesus De La Cruz: Part 2 - March 23, 2022
- AMW Fans Discussion Forum
- Websleuths Discussion Forum