Crime & Safety

Cops Consider Criminal Investigation in Toddler's Disappearance

Bellevue Police detectives will meet later Sunday to review new tips in the case and consider shifting the focus from a missing persons case to a criminal investigation.

Investigators frustrated after a week of searching for Sky Metalwala said Sunday that they are considering shifting from a missing persons case to a criminal investigation as they try to find the Redmond toddler.

Bellevue Police spokesman Maj. Mike Johnson said units from Bellevue, Mercer Island, Medina, Redmond and the FBI concluded recanvassing efforts early Sunday at the two places Sky was last seen. About 20 to 30 motorists and pedestrians at the Bellevue search area yielded the new tips that Bellevue Police detectives will follow up Sunday afternoon, said Johnson.

"Our hope is that as this gains notoriety throughout the week, we'll talk to people we haven't talked to yet that frequented that area last Sunday morning," said Johnson during a Sunday morning media briefing at Bellevue City Hall.

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But police investigators — unable to narrow their search — planned to meet later Sunday to consider moving the investigation into a criminal phase in an effort to determine Sky's whereabouts.

Sky's mother, Julia Biryukova, reported him missing Nov. 6. She said they left their home in the Veloce Apartments in downtown Redmond that morning, and she was taking him to Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue because he was sick. She told detectives that her Acura Integra ran out of gas in the 2400 block of 112th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue. She said she left the sleeping toddler in the car while she and her daughter walked about a mile to get gas. When she and a friend returned to the car, the toddler was gone.

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Police are working in close consultation with the FBI, and Johnson said the BPD has received help from a law-enforcement agency that has experience in a similar missing person case involving a child. He said investigators still want to interview Sky's mother, but she has resisted contacting them because she was still "devastated" by the disappearance of her son.

Biryukova and her lawyer, Veronica Freitas, did not answer repeated phone calls Sunday afternoon.

Biryukova could be brought in for questioning on suspicion of negligence, but according to Johnson, that decision has not yet been made. He also said detectives don't have enough information to focus on any particular theory of what happened to the 2-year-old.

"This notion that having tunnel vision on one particular theory is something that we have to avoid as we consider every possible option that's out there," said Johnson. "We're trying to do that, we're checking each other on that as we move forward and we feel confident to date that we've done that."

Police may resume searching in Bellevue and Redmond later Sunday if the additional tips they received bear any fruit, Johnson added. A didn't turn up any sign of the boy.

Another press briefing is scheduled for 10:30 am Monday. To read other stories from Patch's coverage of Sky Metalwala's disappearance, click here.

Sky Elijah Metalwala

  • Age 2, 2’10” tall, 39 pounds, black hair, brown eyes.
  • Sky was last seen on Nov. 6, 2011, in the 2600 block of 112th Ave. N.E., Bellevue, WA.
  • He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black and aqua blue sweatpants and white socks.
  • Sky was in the silver 1998 Acura Integra three door coupe pictured when he disappeared.
  • Police ask anyone who was traveling Sunday morning along 112th Avenue Northeast, between State Route 520 and Northeast 24th Street, to please call the Bellevue Police tip line at 425-452-2564.


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