The 5-year-old boy held hostage in an underground bunker in Alabama for nearly a week has been released, a law enforcement source said.
Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, who was holding the boy captive, is now dead, authorities said. The boy is in stable condition. An ambulance was seen leaving the area of the bunker, Fox News reports.
Mr. Dykes shot and killed a bus driver, 66-year-old Charles Albert Poland Jr., on Jan. 29 in Midland City, then abducted the boy from the bus, authorities said. The two had been in a bunker on Mr. Dykes‘ property since then.
The suspect was seen with a gun on Monday afternoon after negotiations with officials failed. Fearing for the child’s safety, the FBI entered the bunker and rescued the little boy, FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson told reporters.
It was not immediately clear how Mr. Dykes died, but witnesses said they heard an explosion and gunfire in the area, Fox News reports.
The FBI said Sunday that officials had a direct line of communication with Mr. Dykes and were keeping the boy, who has Asperger’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as comfortable as possible, even sending him Cheez-Its and a red Hot Wheels car into the bunker.
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Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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