South Carolina police are searching for a mother and her 2-year-old son who vanished in late June and haven’t had any contact with family members.
According to CBS 19, Sophia Van Dam, 20, and her son, Matteo, disappeared shortly before they were supposed to move back to Beaufort County. Police said they found her car parked next to her home in Sumter, off Wilson Street, but couldn’t locate her or her son.
“Sophia no matter what has happened. We love you. You and Matteo and we’re here for you and we want you to come back,” Van Dam’s mother, Theresa Van Dam, said, according to WIS News.
“Matteo is just like any 2-year-old. He’s very inquisitive, wants to be outside, wants to explore. Sophia is 20 years old she would be 21 on October 21st. She was very bright, very smart, very street smart. So, I’m hoping whatever happened her instinct kicked in to protect her child.”
Theresa says she thinks her daughter may have been afraid of her boyfriend, which prompted her to want to move back home in June.
“It was between her and her boyfriend. Something must’ve happened she felt scared or whatever, so she wanted to come home, her, and Matteo. So, we told her to come home,” she said.
Van Dam and Matteo initially went back to Beaufort County but she was unsure of what to do with her home in Sumter. Theresa Van Damn said when she arrived home on June 22, Sophia and Matteo had left.
“When I came home from work on the 22nd all the stuff that we had brought down for her and Matteo, that would fit in our cars we brought it down. She was setting her room back up and we were preparing for them to be there for a while. Came back from work at 3:30 the doors were locked, and all of their stuff was gone,” Theresa said.
Then, on June 24, Theresa heard from Sophia for the last time since she vanished.
“She must’ve been having…because of stressors on trying to make decisions on what she needed to do. I don’t know if someone had gave her something because she was sort of talking out of her mind,” Theresa said.
A neighbor told WIS News that they saw “two guys and a little kid” in Sophia’s car, adding that the child was not Matteo. On Thursday, police impounded the vehicle to search for evidence.
It’s unclear at this time whether police have a suspect in mind in connection with the pair’s disappearance.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call 888-CRIMESC or call Sumter Police at 803-436-2700. Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Feature Photo: Police Handout]
