The person found in Kentucky claiming to be a boy that has been missing for seven years is actually a 23-year-old man from Medina, according to Newport, Kentucky police chief Thomas Collins.
The family of Timmothy Pitzen was waiting to see if a boy found in the Cincinnati suburb of Newport, Kentucky, on Wednesday could be the same child who has been missing since 2011, but it turned out to be another false lead.
The man found is actually 23-year-old Brian Michael Rini.
The FBI said it was conducting DNA tests of a boy who, according to a police report, identified himself as 14-year-old Timmothy Pitzen. However, the test results indicate the person is not Timmothy, the FBI in Louisville said Thursday.
"To be clear, law enforcement has not and will not forget Timmothy, and we hope to one day reunite him with his family," an FBI spokesman said in a written statement. "Unfortunately, that day will not be today."
Pitzen, of Aurora, Illinois, hasn't been seen since he was 6 years old. After his mother was found dead of apparent suicide, police found his blood in the back seat of her SUV. Family members thought the blood might have been from a bloody nose a year before.
Following the announcement that the boy is not Timmothy, the FBI said it will continue to support the investigation. They asked anyone with genuine information about the case to call Aurora police at 630-256-5000 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
The Aurora Police Department released the following statement:
As you likely now know, the FBI Cincinnati office has just released a statement indicating that the person in question located yesterday morning was not our missing person, Timmothy Pitzen. Any remaining investigation into who that person is, including any of the allegations made by that person at the time of his contact with authorities down there remains the purview of the local authorities in Ohio. Although we are disappointed that this turned out to be a hoax, we remain diligent in our search for Timmothy, as our missing person's case remains unsolved. As this is now no longer an "Aurora" case, we will defer inquiries to the appropriate jurisdictions in Ohio.
Rini's past
According to records, a Brian Rini with the same date of birth from Medina has a history of crime.
Last year, Rini was sentenced for a year and six months for burglary and vandalism.
He was released last month.
In 2015, Rini pleaded guilty to passing bad checks.
Pitzen family reaction
Timmothy's aunts told media on Thursday that they felt horrible that Rini felt the need to pretend to be someone else and hope that authorities can find his family.
They said this felt like the most promising sighting and are devastated by the results.
Rini family reaction
Rini's brother, Jonathon Rini, told media on Thursday he felt sorry for the Pitzen family.
Jonathon Rini said he hasn't spoken to his brother in years.
"He's been doing stupid stuff, not the serious, but stupid stuff for as long as I can remember," Rini said.
Rini said his brother has mental issues and was receiving help but stopped and started getting into trouble.
"I hope he gets help and I hope he goes to prison for this. Or at least an institution," Rini said.
News 5 will continue to update this developing story
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