Missing 16-year-old spotted in Warwick

Posted 1/3/13

Cheryl Kakos said she hasn’t slept in days. The search for her son, John Kakos, 16, has stolen her appetite and her time for rest.

Cheryl said John has been missing since approximately 2:30 …

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Missing 16-year-old spotted in Warwick

Posted

UPDATED (1/3/2013) -- John Kakos has been LOCATED and is safe, according to his mother, Cheryl.

Cheryl Kakos said she hasn’t slept in days. The search for her son, John Kakos, 16, has stolen her appetite and her time for rest.

Cheryl said John has been missing since approximately 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, when she checked her son’s room to find the window ajar and John and his clothing missing.

Cheryl and John had an argument the night before; he wanted to go out with friends on New Year’s Eve, but Cheryl said he couldn’t – John was grounded for issues he was having at school. The fight escalated, and Cheryl and John decided to cool off and go to bed. It was about 10 p.m. on Monday night.

The next morning, Cheryl went about her business as usual. She walked the dog and did laundry. But it began to seem strange when John, who would normally come down from his room on the second floor to apologize or talk, hadn’t emerged by 2 p.m.

Cheryl asked her daughter if she had seen John, and when she said no, Cheryl began to worry.

“Do you think he jumped from his window?” asked Cheryl’s daughter.

At about 2:30, Cheryl finally went up to John’s room. Some of his clothes were missing, as was his favorite childhood blanket. Cheryl noticed the window was ajar, and knew instantly John must have scaled the A-frame roof to freedom. She noticed that a flagpole attached to the house was broken and there were footprints in the snow, further proof that John had made an escape.

Cheryl questioned her daughters, who said they didn’t know he had run away from home.

“I didn’t think he would be crazy enough to do that,” said Cheryl.

Although John has had problems at school, and Cheryl and her son have their arguments, John has never attempted to run away from home before. Cheryl said she didn’t hear any noises or see any signs of her son leaving the house until Tuesday afternoon when she checked his room.

Cheryl has been in touch with the police, and has posted notices to Facebook, hoping someone will find John safe.

So far, several people have been in touch with John, or have seen him, including Cheryl. Cheryl said she saw her son on Oakland Beach Avenue in Warwick late Tuesday night. When she attempted to approach him in her van, he sprinted away towards West Shore Road. Cheryl said she tried to get out of her car and run after him, but she’s disabled, and he got away. In his haste, John left behind his backpack.

Shortly after her sighting, Cheryl got a phone call from a woman who said she saw John near Post Road. That was the last sighting.

According to Cheryl, when John first left home, he made two phone calls: one to his girlfriend in Coventry at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and another to a friend in Warwick at 4:30 a.m. Cheryl said she has been in touch with both John’s girlfriend and friend, and said they “seem genuine” about not knowing where John is.

Cheryl shares custody of John with John’s father, who sees him on specific weekends. John’s father told Cheryl he does not know where his son is.

Cheryl said she believes her son ran away because he wants more freedom and wishes to live in Warwick, where many of his friends are. Cheryl moved to Warwick with her children from Connecticut seven years ago, but later moved to Coventry, moving John away from his friends.

Cheryl said she texted John recently to ask what it would take to get him to come home. John replied that he wanted a later curfew and the code to their home’s alarm system; requests that Cheryl said can’t be fulfilled. Despite being worried for him, Cheryl said John’s friends have gotten texts from him saying he is warm and safe. Cheryl knows someone is helping him stay fed and warm. 

Comments

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  • maggie123

    Why is this family's drama and personal business spread all over FB and now the Beacon. Why would you do this to a 16 year old kid? I can't believe you would actually say that he took his favorite childhood blanket. A Mother protects her child she doesn't spread his business all over the state. This is wrong on so many levels.

    Thursday, January 3, 2013 Report this

  • Aceydeux

    Maggie123.....you must not be a parent and know the worry and heartbreak when you don't know your child is safe. A good parent will do WHATEVER it takes to protect their child. She is out of her mind with worry and maybe went a little too far broadcasting the blanket issue, but as far as I am concerned, she is doing the right thing to try to find him. Facebook is like "Big Brother" and it is the way to get the word out. John may be 16, but he is out there...scared. He may even be looking for a way to not lose face and go home again and just doesn't know how. I would rather endure a small embarassment, than be picking out a casket. Please John, if you read this, contact your mother. Amends can me made over the phone and I'm sure she awaits you with open arms.

    Friday, January 4, 2013 Report this

  • Aceydeux

    Just read John is safe...Great! But I still stand on my post!

    Friday, January 4, 2013 Report this

  • davebarry109

    I agree with Aceydeux....this is ultimately embarrassing for the kid. Not a paper story. The police can locate the kid without the press.

    Friday, January 4, 2013 Report this

  • maggie123

    Oh I most certainly am a parent of a 17 year old boy and I would never, ever do what this woman has done...First of all he is 16 not 10, he is not missing he ran away and he is not mentally challenged or sick. He is a healthy 16 year old boy. This woman spotted him herself and he ran away from her. He doesn't have the alarm code to his own house which means he is locked in. His request are not unreasonable a later curfew and the alarm code.... they can't be fulfilled???? NO compromise can be made????? There was absolutely NO REASON to say his favorite blankie was taken...By the way she has responded to this whole mess leaves me to believe that it is SHE who needs help and she appears to be treating her son as if he is 10 and not 16. She got her attention and drama fix at the expense of her 16 year old son....That is not a parent to me. That is a selfish person who can't see past her own hurt and fear to protect her child. She is supposed to be the adult!!!!

    Friday, January 4, 2013 Report this

  • angelinri1972

    Ok, lets start this off by saying if your child was missing, to what lengths would you go to, to ensure their safety? Would you know how to handle things and have all of the right answers? Would you know who to go to, when you are out searching for your child day and night with no sleep, and not see police looking for your child even though you told them where to look? What would you do when the police told you that they could not spend all day looking for them? Would you know what to say, or what not to say to press, when you have never had to deal with press? Would you be in the right frame of mind after several days of no sleep what so ever to even KNOW what you are saying? Do you have either a psychology degree, or psychiatry degree to judge the reasons why a child would or would not run away? Do you know this child in particular's mental capability or status? Do you know why the parents have a house alarm, or when they use it or what for? Do you know if the parents would be afraid of the child giving the code out to other people, thereby putting their family's safety at risk? Do you know what this child's reason is FOR running away? Do you know what the parents have been through, trying to get the child/family help, or do you know ANYTHING at all about this family, before assuming they would "use this as a drama fix??" Do you also know the rights for a child of 16? Do you know that a parent is responsible for any action a child of 16 makes? Do you know that a parent of a 16 year old child can be charged and sued for actions a 16 yr old makes in the state of Rhode Island? Did you also know that this family was told by the police, to publicly post his missing status all over facebook or any social media, malls, stores, and anywhere and everywhere that the parent could?

    Until your own child is missing, you have NO clue what you would or would not do, be capable of, or not capable of handling. Till you are in this particular situation this child/family was in, you have no right, what so ever to pass judgment....

    PS.... For further information, this story was put in, POST, knowing where this child was! ANY info this parent could think of, about what this child had on him at the time of disappearance, was given, so as to identify him, or items he had with him. His business was reported and spread all over facebook, so his parents could locate him! Further, any info the parents had posted on facebook, was also taken down, the moment this child was located! Anyone that is not compassionate enough to understand a parents plea, without even knowing the facts, have no clue what being a parent really means!

    Friday, January 4, 2013 Report this

  • Aceydeux

    angelinri1972........My sentiments.....exactly!

    Saturday, January 5, 2013 Report this

  • maggie123

    Let me start by saying my second response was in response to the person saying I was not a parent and defending my position, which I could have worded a lot better, it was directed at the poster and not the mother. My first response was of complete frustration that either mother or the Beacon went on to further embarrass this kid by saying his blanket was missing....A point that should have never been made and the article came out after the boy was found.

    The child was NOT missing he ran away...there is a huge difference! How I would handle it if my old 17 y ear old child RAN away...It would be entirely different and would probably mirror the way other parents handle it who don't make it viral or contact the newspaper....Do you know how many kids run away in this state alone? Teenagers have hot heads, they need cool headed parents. I would be worried sick to...but I would try to separate my fears from the the facts. I have received at least 20 post on this boy and 3 different pictures. That in my opinion is overkill! I am not cold hearted and I have sent prayers to this woman and her family...I don't agree with how this woman handled this situation and I stand by my position that she made this all about her and her feelings and not of what or how her son would feel. There is a huge difference between running away and being missing....there is also a huge differnce in being 14 or younger and being 16 or older. As well as being a "healthy" adult and a mentally challenged or sick adult. Are we going now set a standard that every teenager who fights with his parents and takes off should be posted, embarrassed and published in the newspaper??? That is drama I could do without. AND it is none of my business!!!

    Saturday, January 5, 2013 Report this

  • Aceydeux

    So, running away and gone missing would create 2 different mindsets regarding the parents worry factor? Am I misunderstanding?

    Sunday, January 6, 2013 Report this

  • maggie123

    No your not misunderstanding....there is a big difference. Being missing indicates foul play...running away means they have a place to run to and are not being held against their will. Ask any parent whose kid has disappeared off the face of the earth at someone else hand if there is a difference. Or better yet ask the police. And again we are NOT talking about a young child who runs away...we are talking about a hot headed teenager who doesn't like the rules in his house justified or not. Hot headed teenagers cool off and go back home...missing and exploited children do not and if they do...it is at a huge emotional and physical cost.

    Monday, January 7, 2013 Report this

  • maggie123

    You know what frustrates me...is that people like you keep justifying this woman's behavior because she was worried....There is no justification for further embarrassing her son and making a statement to the press that his favorite child hood blanket was taken. That served no purpose...AND once again he wasn't missing...she saw him with her own two eyes and he took off. She should have just let him cool off and given him a little space.

    Monday, January 7, 2013 Report this