The 10-year-old boy who stowed away without a ticket on a Las Vegas-bound flight last year will return home soon and continue treatment under a Hennepin County judge's order Wednesday.
The boy has been under the supervision of child protective services and at a residential facility receiving treatment for his behavior since shortly after he passed through federal security and boarded the flight without a ticket on Oct. 3. His audacious act drew attention nationally, and from the county protective services.
Judge Joseph Klein said the boy will be put on a waiting list for services and can return home once they are available. He said the boy's progress at the treatment facility has "plateaued."
The boy's parents, who have both attended all court proceedings, are eager for him to return home, their lawyers said. At each hearing, the judge has praised the parents for following the court-ordered directions and working to help the boy.
The judge and the lawyers agreed to return in a couple of months to discuss the boy's status and progress.
The boy had behavioral troubles before he caught the flight. He had been suspended from school because of aggressive behavior and had a history of leaving home without telling his parents where he was going.
The boy's mother has legal custody of him.
Rochelle Olson
