A nine-year-old boy woke up this morning in the back seat of his family's rental car to a police officer.
Ryan Manesis flew into Chicago O'Hare with his dad and brother late Wednesday night. Around 2 a.m. the family stopped at a gas station at 118th and HWY 50 in Pleasant Prairie. Since Ryan was sleeping, his dad and brother left the air on and ran inside to get a snack.
"About five minutes we were inside there on the way out, we came out and there was no car. Inside the car happened to be my little brother," said Camron Manesis, Ryan's brother.
"The first thing was complete denial. I'm staring at where the car was. It took two seconds I said 'Okay we need to call 911," said dad Nick Manesis.
They did call 911 and Pleasant Prairie police put out a bulletin to area officers to look for the white SUV that had been stolen with sleeping Ryan inside.
"I was asleep the whole time so I didn't really know," said Ryan.
He didn't realize that while his dad and brother went inside the gas station, Police say Michael Newhouse hopped into the running car and drove off.
Camron said he hasn't cried in a long time, but not knowing where his brother was did the trick.
Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana said in about a half-hour after the family's call, Lake County, Ill. Sheriff's let them know they'd seen the vehicle on the highway, and were pursuing it. The pursuit ended in Cook County, Ill. after reaching speeds of 100 MPH.
Ryan slept through it all.
"The police just tapped me on the shoulder and I just got up," he said.
Now the Manesis men have to figure out how to tell mom.
"Hi, I missed you, I missed you, by the way Ryan was kidnapped, sorry," joked Camron.
Newhouse faces felony charges including child endangerment in the three counties involved in his crimes.
