The Lutz family. Left to right: Stephen, Monica, Aiden, Nicholas (Newton Police Department)
The Illinois family of four who had been missing for two months in what police called “grave danger” has been found safe in Arizona.
The Newton Police Department confirmed Stephen (44), Monica (34), Aiden (11) and Nicholas Lutz (9) were located in Cochise County — the county is east of Tucson and borders Mexico. Investigators said license plate readers helped local and state police track the family down.
The family was reported missing on Feb. 10 by a family member who hadn’t seen the family for a few days and was concerned something was wrong. Stephen Lutz was arrested in January for domestic battery charges and allegedly was caught talking to himself by one of his young sons saying he needed to kill his family.
The Lutz’s truck was spotted leaving Illinois towing a U-Haul.
Surveillance footage showed the family leaving in the middle of the night in their truck, a blue, 2005 Ford F150, towing a U-Haul. The last ping of their electronic devices was in Richmond, Indiana — then their digital footprint went cold.
Officers made contact with Monica Lutz and the young boys without Stephen Lutz present. The deputy who made contact with the trio said the boys appeared healthy and Monica Lutz told them where they could find Stephen Lutz.
Newton Police Chief Riley Britton spoke with Stephen Lutz directly, who said the family has relocated and has “no plans of returning to Newton.”
“We are relieved to have made contact with the family and are thankful that they are safe,” Chief Britton said in the press release.
In an interview with WCIA, Brittany Lutz, another child of Stephen Lutz, said she texted her half-brother, Aiden, a few days before they went missing. She said he told her the family was taking a vacation but he didn’t know where.
“On February 14, I did text my father Stephen and said if they needed to get away, I could take the boys and just get them back to a normal life,” she said in the interview. “He said they have a normal life, they aren’t together, and he’s not allowed to be around them.”
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