The search for missing autistic Tennessee teenager Sebastian Rogers has been called off due to safety concerns for the Cajun Navy helpers deployed to find him.
The 15-year-old went missing on February 26 after leaving the bedroom of his Hendersonville home barefoot and carrying a flashlight.
Since his disappearance, several volunteers have searched for the teen, but on Friday the nonprofit search and rescue organization United Cajun Navy claimed that some of its members had received threats and had been forced to scale back.
On Friday, the rescue group announced on Facebook that it had suspended the search for Rogers — and may regroup privately in the coming days.
Sebastian Rogers, 15, went missing on February 26 after leaving the bedroom of his Hendersonville home barefoot and carrying a flashlight
On Friday, the United Cajun Navy announced they were forced to call off the public search due to continued threats, which raised “safety concerns” for their team members.
Sebastian’s mother, Katie Proudfoot, and the boy’s stepfather, Chris Proudfoot, planned to leave Hendersonville and travel to Memphis for Chris’ job during the search.
“Today’s search for Sebastian Rogers has been called off. “Due to increasing safety concerns and with the upcoming Easter holidays, the decision has been made as of this morning to withdraw and regroup,” the group wrote.
“This decision was not taken lightly (and was) made with the safety of all volunteers in mind. We would like to thank all the volunteers who planned to go out today.”
It comes amid news that Sebastian’s mother Katie Proudfoot and her husband Chris have left Hendersonville to return to work in Memphis, they confirmed to broadcaster Nancy Grace.
Since the teen disappeared, the couple has been searching for the boy with Sebastian’s father Seth and an army of volunteers.
The Cajun Navy, the nonprofit organization made up of volunteers with boats, was formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help search for survivors, has since assisted with search and rescue efforts and even took over the search earlier this month.
The Navy deployed drones and K9 units in an attempt to track him.
Brian Trascher, the vice president of the United Cajun Navy, told Fox News Digital that two of the group’s members had received threats, although he did not go into detail.
He explained that one of them male volunteers confronted and intimidated a man in a hotel parking lot.
He also revealed that a female volunteer was threatened by another man over the phone. The phone recording was shared with the news station.
According to the call, the man accuses the female volunteer and another volunteer of driving onto his property and drawing a crowd.
He said he contacted the sheriff’s office about the incident.
A Kentuckian police officer imagined himself looking for Sebastian in a landfill 10 days after his disappearance
Search crews are looking for the autistic boy who has not been seen since he disappeared on February 26
The mysterious caller, who claimed he was calling the authorities to make sure they weren’t doing anything illegal.
According to Trascher, the caller said, “We’re letting the community know about you.
“You guys are just out of control and we as a community are going to make sure you get out of here.”
The female volunteer claimed to have told the man that she was in the car with a local resident and that they were trying to turn around their vehicle, the one he was questioning.
She also said she tried calling the man ahead of time for advice on where to park.
Trascher said the incidents raised concerns about his team’s safety, prompting them to call off the public search. He said they will continue to search for Sebastian privately, but would not reveal where these locations might be located.
Amid the frantic search for Sebastian, the boy’s mother told Nancy Grace she is “absolutely” concerned about leaving, but doesn’t know when she will return.
Grace questioned Katie the night her son disappeared and Katie defended leaving town. “My son could be anywhere and we’re looking anywhere, anytime,” she said
The boy’s mother and stepfather told WSMV4’s Holly Thompson in an interview that they had been cleared of the investigation into the missing boy, amid speculation that they may have been involved.