Tip Leads to Police Locating 4-Year-Old Azariah Petrick

Posted on 10/20/2020

The Pleasant Prairie Police Department, in cooperation with the Michigan State Police, and the Traverse City Police have located 4-year-old Azariah Petrick. A man who saw Azariah's photo on a Facebook post for UP NORTH LIVE recognized Azariah and his father, Mark Petrick. 

The man phoned Pleasant Prairie Police, who called Traverse City Sheriff's Department, and the Michigan State Police. Azariah was thought to have been in his father's company since being reported missing on July 22, 2020. According to the caller, Mark Petrick and his son Azariah were staying inside a recreational vehicle (RV) in the parking lot of an RV repair shop near Traverse City. 

At 11:30 p.m., on Monday, October 19, Michigan authorities found Mark Petrick, took him into custody without incident, and located Azariah inside the RV. Mark Petrick refused to identify himself, but Azariah told deputies his name. Azariah is now safe and with his mother. Mark Petrick is being held on a $20,000 cash bond and will be extradited to Wisconsin to face charges of Interference with Child Custody.

The search for Azariah was an exhaustive investigation by the Pleasant Prairie Police Department with the help of the United States Marshall's Office, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and numerous other law enforcement agencies throughout the country.