BREA : Family Friend Held in Boy’s Late Return

A family friend who took eight hours to return a child to his parents--triggering an extensive police search--was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of kidnaping, police said.

The boy’s family expected that Thomas Lee Gray, 28, of Santa Ana would pick up their 7-year-old son at a local park and take him home at 5:30 p.m. Instead, Gray allegedly made “a number of stops in North Orange County” before delivering the child to his Brea home at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Detective Grant Gulickson said.

The family, which was not identified by police, had called authorities about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

“The family knew who the child was with,” Gulickson said. “The guy was supposed to pick up the child from the park and go home, and they just didn’t go home.”

Brea police broadcasted a description of Gray and his vehicle countywide and called on the cities of Fullerton, Placentia, Anaheim and Tustin to assist in the search effort, Detective Terry Fincher said.

“Every one of our units was looking in a lot of different areas, like parking lots and parks,” Fincher said. “We knew what (the suspect) was driving and we had a license plate.”

Gulickson said he was on his way to the boy’s home at 1:30 a.m. when a police officer there informed him that the boy had been returned. The child appeared to be unharmed.

Fincher said he doubted that the situation was the result of a misunderstanding between Gray, a “longtime family friend,” and the family. He said detectives had come up with a number of theories as to why Gray was delayed but would not elaborate.

Gray was arrested at the residence, booked at the Brea Police Department and transferred to Orange County Jail Tuesday morning.

“He didn’t appear to be surprised” that the police were waiting for him, Gulickson said. Gulickson said he will be speaking with the district attorney’s office this morning and expects charges to be filed against Gray.