Update: Missing Toddler's Father Begs for his Return

A father pleaded for the return of his 2-year-old son Monday night, a day after the boy’s mother said the child disappeared after she left him in her car in Bellevue while she went to find gas.

The FBI joined the search Monday for Sky Metalwala, who was while his mother, Julia Biryukova, took his 4-year-old sister to get help after their car ran out of gas, according to the .

Outside the Bellevue police station at City Hall, Solomon Metalwala pleaded before television cameras for whoever had his son to "please return Sky to the fire department, please return Sky to a hospital. Please, he's just two years old."

"I'm scared," Metalwala said. "I'm a dad. But I'm going to be strong for my son."

The search has focused on the Redmond apartment of the boy’s mother, Biryukova, who is in divorce proceedings with her estranged husband. Both parents, who were cited two years ago for leaving a child unattended in their car, have accused the other of being a threat to the children, according to court documents obtained by Patch.

Bellevue police, the FBI and other law enforcement searched the Veloce apartments in the 8000 block of 161st Avenue Northeast in downtown Redmond looking for clues in the boy’s disappearance.

"We still hope to find him alive," said Bellevue Police Department spokeswoman Carla Iafrate.

"We've been talking with both the mom and the dad for the last day and a half," Iafrate said. "Both parents have been cooperative."

Solomon Metalwala submitted to a polygraph test Monday, though his attorney, Clay Terry, said Metalwala would return for additional polygraph tests.

Iafrate said that searchers were confident that they had adequately canvassed the Northtowne neighborhood where Sky was last reported seen by his mother. The search included knocking on doors in a nearby residential neighborhood, as well as searches of a business park and a wooded area, she said.

The mother told police just before 10 a.m. Sunday that her son was missing from the car, which was on a street that includes l, a residential neighborhood, a business park and a wooded area on the west side and Interstate 405 on the east side.

According to the Bellevue Police Department, King County Search and Rescue, Redmond Police Department, and the King County Guardian One Helicopter joined the search.

Terry said that the Metalwala family hasn't organized a search party because it does not appear that Sky wandered away from the car.

"We never thought for a minute that the child figured out how to open the car door and got out. The Bellevue police did an exhaustive search yesterday. Many dogs and lots of volunteers and there was no evidence that the child got out of the car," Terry said. "We don't know where to go from here. If we had any idea, we'd have a search organized now."

Residents at the Veloce apartments reported that the FBI went from door to door to ask general questions about the family. Law enforcement was also seen going through the Dumpsters at the apartment complex, and residents heard what sounded like helicopters overhead overnight.

"The FBI came to the door this morning. They asked general questions, asked if we knew the family," said resident Ariana Burrow, who said she didn't know Biryukova or Sky. "I am following the news just like everyone else. I hope they find him safe. It's kind of bizarre."

King County District Court documents obtained by Patch show the boy's parents were cited in 2009 for leaving a child in a car in Redmond. The case was dismissed after the parents agreed to a year of probation, parenting classes and community service.

The boy's parents began divorce proceedings in 2010, and both had accused each other of posing a threat to the couple's two children.

In a 2010 protection order requested by Biryukova, the mother said her husband had been physically abusive toward her and had threatened to kill her if she sought custody of their children.

"The most recent (incidents) have been his threats to kill me if I say anything against him or if in any way I proceed with action of seeking custody of our two small children," Biryukova wrote in the protection order request. "I live in constant fear of my life and my children's life."

For his part, Solomon Metalwala said Biryukova was battling a mental illness, was suicidal, and had dreams of harming her children.

"She began to have dreams about killing our children, even telling me of her dreams about strangling our youngest child," Metalwala said in a court document related to the couple's divorce that was filed in King County Superior Court.

The Associated Press has published a story that goes into more details surrounding the couple's troubled relationship.

KOMO 4 News aired a brief interview with Solomon Metalwala on Monday, saying the father did not believe the mother's story and was concerned for his son.

"My little guy, who has him?" Solomon Metalwala told KOMO. "I just want my kids to be safe. I want Sky to come home safely. I'm just scared for him. What is he thinking?"

KOMO also reported that the couple's daughter is in state custody, and that Bellevue police found no gas can near the mother's car on Sunday and were able to start the vehicle immediately.

Bellevue police spokeswoman Iafrate confirmed that the 4-year-old girl was in Child Protective Services custody but didn’t have details on why she was placed there.

Sky is half-Indian and half-white, with brown eyes and dark buzz cut hair. He was wearing a dark green hooded sweatshirt, with blue and gray striped Carter pants. The attached picture is exactly what he is wearing when he went missing, according to the police.

Police ask anyone who was traveling Sunday morning along 112th Avenue Northeast, between State Route 520 and Northeast 24th Street, to please call police through the NORCOM dispatch center at 425-577-5656.

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.

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.