Todd Sabatini, 36, left his McHenry home with Theo at around noon on Saturday, 8 August
, triggering a multi-state search that ended when the pair were found safe on
Sunday night on a Milwaukee city bus
.
Around 12:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 8, Todd Sabatini left his home in McHenry, Ill., to take his young son, Theo Sabatini, “for a walk,” the McHenry Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE
.
The family described the walk as a normal activity
.
By around 4:00pm, family members became concerned when they had not returned
.
Police subsequently entered Todd and Theo into law enforcement databases as missing persons
.
What authorities discovered was puzzling.
Investigators later located Theo’s stroller behind a local business and obtained security footage showing Todd and Theo at a Jewel-Osco supermarket
.
According to police, Todd attempted to make contact with someone at Zion Lutheran Church
.
Authorities also said he spoke with someone at a Taco Bell
.
McHenry police said Todd reportedly did not have the provisions necessary for an extended outing with his young son
.
Authorities determined that Todd’s behaviour was unusual
.
The trail led across the state line.
Todd and Theo had taken a rideshare service from Illinois to the Greenfield Police Department in Wisconsin, approximately an hour away from their home
.
At the police station, Todd had a brief conversation with an officer before leaving on foot with Theo around 2 PM on Saturday
. Authorities never disclosed what was discussed.
From that point, the search intensified dramatically.
As the investigation progressed, credible information emerged indicating that the father and son were in Milwaukee
.
Police determined the pair had been in the Greenfield, Wisconsin, area and later received information indicating they may have been in Milwaukee
.
Investigators from multiple agencies followed leads as the search expanded across state lines
. The hunt brought together resources from both states.
The pair were found Sunday night on a Milwaukee city bus
.
Around 6:30 p.m., Aug. 9, police shared that detectives found both Todd and nearly 2-year-old Theo safe and unharmed
. The search had lasted roughly 30 hours.
The McHenry Police Department issued a public statement thanking those who assisted in the discovery.
“We want to extend a BIG thank you to our community, local agencies, and Wisconsin agencies for assisting in the safe return of Todd & Theo,” the department stated
.
They also indicated that further details would be provided later and acknowledged the public’s role in offering tips that contributed to the successful reunion
.
Additional details revealed by authorities showed the sequence of Todd’s movements in McHenry before the pair crossed state lines.
Police located security footage of the pair at the Route 120 Jewel-Osco, and the two also spoke with someone at a Taco Bell
.
A stroller matching the one Theo had been riding in was later found behind a business on the 4200 block of West Elm Street
.
In the viral moment that triggered the search, authorities say Todd left with his son for what the family described as an ordinary neighborhood walk on the afternoon of August 8. The pair did not return after four hours. Family members called police when Todd and Theo failed to arrive home by 4 p.m. McHenry authorities quickly learned the walk had taken an unusual turn—Todd and Theo had been spotted in Wisconsin, at a police station, and then disappeared from sight again. The discovery of the abandoned stroller and security footage showing stops at churches, restaurants and retail stores indicated something had gone wrong.
No criminal charges were filed.
McHenry police announced Sunday evening that both individuals had been located safely
, allowing the investigation to shift from active search operations to follow-up work.
The investigation remains ongoing but no charges have been pursued against Todd Sabatini.