Timmothy Pitzen was last seen Friday in Wisconsin Dells with his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, 43. Authorities found Fry-Pitzen's 2004 Ford Expedition in the parking lot of the same Rockford motel where she committed suicide on Saturday after she and her son had visited a Wisconsin Dells water park. She left a note saying the boy was in the care of friends, but she didn't say who he was with. Police have confirmed the boy's child seat and a Spiderman backpack are both missing from the car his mother was driving.
The child's paternal grandfather tells ABC7 that the family believes Timmothy is safe.
"It's just been very strange. We have no idea where he is at. We believe he is alive," said Dan Pitzen, grandfather, of Ohio.
When asked if Fry-Pitzen and her husband had any problems in their marriage, Dan Pitzen said, "there's normal things in marriages, but nothing that was serious."
Police are looking for the boy in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
"She may have had ssome friends, acquaintances, family in those different areas," said Dan Ferrelli, Aurora police spokesperson.
Timmothy and his mother lived in the 400 block of North Highland Avenue in Aurora with the father. He reported them missing on Thursday. On Friday, Amy Fry-Pitzen contacted family members and acquaintances saying she and Timmothy were fine and not in danger.
In their investigation, Aurora police have uncovered that Fry-Pitzen checked Timmothy out of school on Wednesday in the southwest suburb The two apparently visited Brookfield Zoo on Wednesday and then checked in to Key Lime Cove Resort in Gurnee. They were last seen in Wisconsin Dells.
Detectives also said that Amy checked herself into the Rockford Inn Friday night. Before checking in, she went to a local grocery store in Winnebago and was not seen with her son.
"We do have her on video at about 8 o'clock Friday night inside that grocery store in Winnebago County. Apparently Timothy is not with her," said Ferrelli.
The missing boy is 4 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 70 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who has any information on the case is asked to call Aurora police at 630-256-5500 or 911.
