Lucas Hernandez's stepmom charged with crime | Wichita Eagle

Emily Glass – the stepmother of missing Wichita 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez – was criminally charged Monday with endangering a child.

Glass, 26, was quiet as the judge announced the charge in Sedgwick County District Court and told her that her bond would remain at $50,000. Glass, who appeared via video feed from a room in the Sedgwick County Jail, said she wanted to hire her own attorney to represent her rather than applying for a court-appointed one.

The charge is related to the alleged endangerment of a 1-year-old child, according to court documents. There was no mention of Lucas during Glass’ court hearing.

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The search for him was in its ninth day Monday. Police said officers were out combing through Cottonwood Park – the fourth park to draw their attention – on Monday afternoon. That’s a 21-acre nature park off of a bike path near Harry and the Turnpike in southeast Wichita. Members of the public have formed their own search parties to look for the boy.

Glass was originally arrested and booked into Sedgwick County jail Feb. 21 on two counts of child endangerment. Police said the arrest involved Lucas and a 1-year-old child. Glass has a 1-year-old daughter. Police said they discovered information related to the child endangerment allegations during the investigation into Lucas’s disappearance.

She remained in the Sedgwick County Jail on Monday in lieu of $50,000 bond. She was being held in the jail’s clinic as of early afternoon, an online log of inmates shows.

Hers is the only arrest since Lucas’s disappearance.

The charge on which Glass made a first appearance in court Monday accuses her of “unlawfully, knowingly and unreasonably” causing or permitting the 1-year-old “to be placed in a situation in which the child’s life, body or health may be endangered.”

The date of the alleged crime is said to have occurred on or about Feb. 16 – the day before Lucas was reported missing.

Glass is due in court again on March 13.

During Monday’s court appearance, she said only “yes,” “no,” “correct” and “thank you” in response to questions and comments from District Judge Faith Maughan. She wore a yellow jail jumpsuit, which signifies that an inmate is on some type of watch, such as medical or suicide, and is checked on more often than other inmates.

Glass reported Lucas missing nine days ago, at about 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 17. She told investigators she left him in his bedroom about 3 p.m. that day, took a shower and then a nap. When she awoke a few hours later, she told authorities, he was gone. Police said there was no evidence of an abduction.

Court records have revealed anger issues and other trouble in Glass’ past, including allegations of physical assault of her own sons’ father and property damage. Lucas’ great-grandmother in a recent interview with The Eagle said that the boy once told her that Glass had kicked him and dragged him across a room. When confronted, Glass and Lucas’ father denied that he’d been abused.

During the past nine days authorities have searched for Lucas in four Wichita parks – Chisholm Creek, Dr. Glen Dey, Harrison and Cottonwood – and in the neighborhood around his home in the 600 block of South Edgemoor. The search involved more than 100 officers, dogs, horses and drones.

Police divers searched bodies of water when the search returned to Chisholm Creek on Friday, police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said.

Authorities began a new search at Cottonwood Park, Davidson confirmed Monday afternoon.

Police, he said, had adequate resources to search for Lucas in those areas based on the information they had received.

“These were not just searches where we had personnel show up and walk around,” Davidson said when describing the grid searches officers have conducted.

So far they have come up empty handed.

The search is a criminal investigation, Wichita police Deputy Chief Gavin Seiler announced last week.

Public searches also were underway on Monday, including at Chisholm Creek Park, near K-96 and Woodlawn.

The Wichita Police Department has urged people to help by sharing photos of Lucas and his missing person’s poster on social media pages. Monday, the agency told members of the public out searching on their own to not disturb any evidence they might come across and to call police immediately. Tips can be left at 316-383-4661.

Lucas is a pre-kindergarten student at Beech Elementary School in Wichita. He has brown hair and brown eyes, is about 4 feet tall and weighs around 60 pounds. He was last seen wearing black sweats, white socks and a gray shirt with a bear on it. He was born Dec. 3, 2012.

This story was originally published February 26, 2018 3:29 PM.