The police issued an AMBER alert in the Kerkrade region on Thursday afternoon due to the missing nine-year-old Gino van der Straeten. The boy has been missing since Wednesday night. Police are considering a crime, but are not ruling out other options, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
The police raised the alarm because no explanation can be found for the disappearance of the boy. He was last seen on Wednesday between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm in a playground on Hertogenlaan and Zonstraat in Kerkrade.
Just after 0:30 a.m. on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, the police received a report of the disappearance. An hour later, a call was placed via Burgernet to watch Gino. A description of the child was also shared. According to his sister, the boy had a black scooter with red handles. He is 1.30 meters tall and has blond hair. He also wears a red jacket with black sleeves and a red cap.
Police are now speaking with residents and witnesses. Camera images are also read to find out what happened. The German police have also been informed about the disappearance. Kerkrade is located on the German border.
According to a sister, the boy lives with his mother in Maastricht. But she is ill and that is why he has been staying with another sister in Kerkrade for a week. She is 32 years old and a mother of two small children herself. This sister said she searched until 5:00 on Thursday. She then spent two hours at the police station.