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5-year-old hostage is safe

by The Canadian Press - Story: 86891
Feb 4, 2013 / 2:37 pm

James Stephens and Autumn kneel and pray for a 5-year-old boy taken hostage, in Midland City, Ala., Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. Authorities say Jim Lee Dykes, 65 â€” a decorated Vietnam-era veteran known as Jimmy to neighbors â€” gunned down a school bus driver and then abducted a 5-year-old boy from the bus, taking him to an underground bunker on his rural property. The driver, 66-year-old Charles Albert Poland Jr., who was shot trying to protect children on his bus, was buried Sunday. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The 5-year-old boy held hostage nearly a week is safe and the Alabama man who held him hostage is dead.

Authorities are going live now (2:30 p.m.) with the announcement.

The news conference is being held Monday afternoon in Midland City. Police say 65-year-old Jim Dykes had been holding the boy hostage for days.

Before the news conference Monday, an ambulance that had been parked near the scene could be seen driving away.

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