Missing Paulding Co. boy found safe, man arrested

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Timothy Lee Wilson was booked into jail in Franklin County, Tenn. (Courtesy: Paulding County Sheriff's Office)

A 12-year-old boy, who police believe was kidnapped from his Hiram home early Thursday morning, has been found safe. 

And only FOX 5 News was there, at his house, when his parents returned home from the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, after the most agonizing morning of their lives.

"I've never felt nothing like that before. I've never felt a fear like this," Michael Tompkins, the boy's father, said.

Tompkins woke up to the nightmare. Around 6 a.m., his wife got out of bed and realized something had happened inside their house, while they slept.

"My car was gone and my son's window was open" Tompkins said. "I went to check my kids room and my daughter was there, but my son was gone."

Within minutes, Paulding County Investigators had issued a statewide alert for 12-year-old Dorian Moxley. The real fear, though, was that also missing from their house was a family friend.

Timothy Lee Wilson, who was just released from a Tennessee jail last month, had been living with the family. 

FOX 5 News discovered Wilson has a long criminal history, dating back at least 14 years. His charges range from a drug arrest in 2009, to domestic violence in 2005, to evading arrest in 2002.
"Wilson took the child without permission, and so there's definitely concern there," Corp. Ashley Henson with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office said.

Tompkins and his wife, Michelle Moxley said they don't believe their son was taken against his will, but they do believe Wilson manipulated him into leaving.

Five hours after he was reported missing, a Tennessee State Trooper working on information from the kidnapping alert, saw a car matching the description of the one Wilson was thought to be driving. He pulled it over on Interstate 24, just past the Georgia state line, and arrested Wilson.

Dorian was put in a separate police cruiser and taken home.

"It's such a blessing to know that he's safe in such a short period of time," Tompkins said. "And I thank all the agencies in the state of Georgia and Tennessee that helped us."

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