WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The body of a 16-year-old boy was found Sunday in an Oakland County pond hours after he fled from police responding to a situation.
His father said it was a childish prank that ended in tragedy.
At around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, divers found the body of a 16-year-old boy in a small pond in the area of Highland Road and Maple Heights Drive in White Lake Township, police reported Monday. The boy was being sought by police after he was spotted the same day at a nearby Tractor Supply Co. store where an alarm was going off.
White Lake Township police say officers were called to the store on Highland Road at about 2 a.m. Sunday due to “an alarm.” When officers arrived, they saw the 16-year-old and another unidentified male climbing down from the roof of the building, officials said.
It was not said what, if any, crime occurred at the location.
The two males reportedly fled on foot after seeing police at the scene. The unidentified male was taken into custody nearby, police said, but the 16-year-old boy continued to flee into a wooded area. Authorities searched the wooded area with a canine team, but did not find him.
Police said the boy was later reported missing after he failed to return home. White Lake Township police went to the boy’s home at around 1:45 p.m. Sunday, and reportedly searched that area, as well.
It wasn’t until about 10 p.m. Sunday that the boy’s body was found in the pond, located near an area that’s wooded yet residential. The boy’s cause of death was not provided Monday, however, family members say he drowned.
“Our search and rescue team put in the AquaEye, which is basically a small scan sonar device where they can look at objects in the water to see if something bears additional investigation,” said Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “They saw something that they felt did, they put divers in the water and recovered them.”
The boy’s father told Local 4′s Shawn Ley that his son, Joe Paduchowski, was a junior at Lakeland High School who was also a proud member of the varsity football team, which became a “second family” to them.
“He was a host at a local restaurant for the last 2 years and he had the biggest heart of any kid you’ll ever meet,” Randy Paduchowski said of his son. “His loss has left an indescribable hole in our hearts and souls.”
No other details were provided as of this writing. White Lake Township police say the boy’s death is being investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.