MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The case of the north Minneapolis boy who made his way onto a plane to Las Vegas without a ticket back in October was in court Wednesday.
The story made national and international headlines as officials investigated how the boy was able to sneak through security on Oct. 3 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and onto a plane, without a boarding pass.
Still, at the center of the story is a young boy whose parents said all along, they desperately wanted help.
The boy was separated from his parents last month after a judge ruling to try and help the boy and his parents get the counseling they requested.
At the court hearing Wednesday, it was revealed he is in a “safe place.”
It’s very important for them to use sensitive and vague words because we are talking about a minor and his name can’t be revealed.
Wednesday’s hearing focused on what’s next for the boy.
He wasn’t inside but his parents, their lawyers and the boy’s lawyer were there and all agreed to continue following court orders to hopefully one day reunite the boy with his parents.
It was decided based on several factors the boy should be removed, after the parents said they didn’t know how to help him and told a judge he had deep behavioral problems.
The parents, who were unsure where their son was the day he hopped on the flight to Vegas, are also still under orders to receive counseling and go through parental training courses.
The boy can visit his parents and speak to them by phone.
For now, things remain the same and all the parties in the courtroom vowed to keep making progress.
The court did recognize the parents had been doing everything asked of them to get their son back.
The court has to decide permanent placement within 12 months of the day the case began, which was last month.
This hearing and the next likely won’t determine where the boy will permanently go, but they can determine if he should’ve been removed in the first place and if this case should go to trial.
The next court hearing will be on Dec. 20.
