PLANTATION, Fla. – A Plantation man accused of abandoning his son spoke to reporters Friday, saying he had nothing to do with his son's disappearance and that he wants him to come home.
"Certainly I want him home, and there's been a swell of support from the community and from people we don't even know," Bruce Jorgensen said through tears. "He's got a lot of friends out there, so please come home soon. Please, and be safe."
Jorgensen spent four weeks in the Broward County Jail on a charge of unlawful abandonment of a child.
Police said Aage Jorgensen, 16, was last seen Dec. 28 at American Heritage School in Plantation.
Police said they were not notified about the boy's disappearance until Jan. 9 by Hawk's Landing security, when Jorgensen dropped off fliers at the community in an attempt to find his son.
Detectives said Jorgensen was uncooperative with authorities and said that he did not want to file an official police report.
According to detectives, the father later claimed that he had kicked his son out of his car Dec. 27, when Aage was being rude.
"He was being disrespectful, he was being defiant, contrary as 16-year-olds are," he said.
Jorgensen said the incident occurred somewhere on Northwest 136th Avenue, and he had not seen his son since.
Police said Jorgensen was contacted by detectives on Jan. 14 and told them that his son was still missing, but he did not want to file a missing person's report.
Jorgensen was arrested late last month at Miami International Airport with the help of the FBI and Miami-Dade police after detectives claimed that he purchased a one-way ticket to New Zealand.
But his attorney showed the court proof Wednesday that Jorgensen planned to return to South Florida, bringing in his return flight ticket. He said Jorgensen was only visiting New Zealand on business.
Foul play is not suspected in Aage's disappearance, police said.
Both Jorgensen and Aage's grandmother said Aage has run away in the past, but Jorgensen has always been able to find him on his own, which is why he said he didn't go to police.
"He's a good little boy but he just likes to run away and hide. Even when I would go walking with him, he would just run away and hide. I don't know why," Francis Jorgensen said.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information about Aage's whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call private investigator Dan Riemer at 954-557-6111 or Bruce Jorgensen at 703-832-2024.