Disturbing twist after missing Sydney boy found after night in freezing conditions
The father of the 11-year-old Sydney boy who was found safe after he spent the night in the cold has been arrested.
On Thursday at around 9.30am, Christopher Wilson was found in Annangrove, after he vanished on Wednesday afternoon, prompting an extensive search.
Police attended a home on Annangrove Road at around 10.40am on Thursday, as part of inquiries relating to Christopher's missing person investigation.
"While at the home, police located a hydroponic setup inside a locked room," NSW Police said in a statement.
"A crime scene was established, and further inquiries were conducted at the address with police seizing two gel blaster firearms."
The 29-year-old was arrested and charged with cultivating a prohibited plant and two counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol.
He is due to appear before Parramatta Local Court on July 27.
'Absolutely freezing' conditions fuelled fears for boy
Fears for the boy's safety mounted with no trace of him and the overnight temperature dipped as low as three degrees on Wednesday, with the wind chill factor making conditions "absolutely freezing".
The 11-year-old boy was missing for more than 16 hours and Superintendent Darrin Batchelor said the family was "distraught with worry" during that time.
However, they were "extremely relieved" when Christopher was found on Thursday morning. He had spent the night wearing just shorts, a t-shirt and a light jacket, with no food or money.
On Wednesday afternoon, he got off a school bus at around 3.20pm on Annangrove Road and was later seen walking on the same road at around 4.45pm.
He was found by a mother who had just dropped her children off to school and decided to look for him before going to the gym.
“I saw him and I pulled over and I said, ‘Christopher is that you?’ and he goes ‘yes’, and he was backing back a bit and it was full on,” Annangrove resident Kristy Crabb said.
Ms Crabb's friend Sean was in the area and he noticed her and Christopher while he was on his way to work.
He explained Christopher looked "a bit lost" as Ms Crabb tried to walk toward him and that he was seemed hesitant to come out of the bush where he was standing.
“I just said ‘hey mate, everyone’s looking for you, are you all right, are you cold?’ and he said ‘yeah’," Sean told the Daily Telegraph.
"We eventually got him into Kristy’s car and then gave him some food, some water, some blankets.”
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