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Gallery: Faith and Prayers Raised for Sky Metalwala in Kirkland Vigil

Sunday marked six months since the toddler was last seen.

More than 50 people gathered at  in Kirkland on Sunday to pray for Sky Metalwala, the Eastside toddler who was reported missing last fall.

Many at the gathering came from The Overlake Church and City Church, to which Sky's father, Solomon Metalwala of Kirkland, belongs.

People sang Christian songs of praise and offered prayers.

Sunday's date marked exactly six months since 2-year-old toddler Sky Metalwala was reported missing.

Among the people who organized "A Night for Sky" is Sky's father, Solomon Metalwala of Kirkland, who has kept the search for his son going since he was reported missing Nov. 6, 2011, by his mother, Julia Biryukova.

Biryukova, who is divorced from Solomon Metalwala, reported their son went missing from her car, in the 2600 block of 112th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue, Wash., while she was taking her son to Overlake Hospital Medical Center because he was ill.

Sky has been missing since Biryukova told . She said she left Sky in the car as she took their 4-year-old daughter, Maile, to get help. She told police he was gone when she and a friend returned to the car several hours later.

However, Bellevue police could not corroborate her story of her car breaking down. Police also said that it had been at least two weeks prior to Sky's disappearance since anyone apart from Biryukova had reported seeing the boy.

After the initial interviews, Biryukova stopped talking voluntarily to police, the Bellevue Police reported. However, Biryukova has not been named a suspect, Bellevue Police say.

Terry has said that the fliers and media attention have worked--and witnesses have come forward to narrow down the last time anyone other than Biryukova reported seeing the boy.

However, Terry said that Biryukova's family, including her brother, whose car she borrowed on the day she reported Sky missing, have been estranged from Metalwala and his family and have not offered to help at all.

. Metalwala  and was awarded full custody earlier this year.

Metalwala has been caring for his daughter, Maile, now 5, full time.

For more coverage of the Sky Metalwala search on .

About Sky

Age 2, 2’10” tall, 39 pounds, black hair, brown eyes.

Sky was last seen on Nov. 6, 2011, in the 2600 block of 112th Ave. N.E., Bellevue, Wash.

He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black and aqua blue sweatpants and white socks.

Sky was in the silver 1998 Acura Integra three door coupe pictured when he disappeared.

Police ask anyone who was traveling Sunday morning along 112th Avenue Northeast, between State Route-520 and Northeast 24th Street, to please call the Bellevue Police Tip line at 425-452-6917 or call 9-1-1.

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Jeanne Gustafson (Editor) May 17, 2013 at 01:54 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this great event on Patch! What a cool thing to do--as an IssaquahRead More resident, I really appreciate your involvement with EBC.
Photo by Jean Johnson
Susan Gerend May 18, 2013 at 07:58 am
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Margaret Santjer (Editor) May 16, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Thanks for posting that, Jean! I love this time of year when the markets open. Were there a lot ofRead More people for the opening day?
David V May 15, 2013 at 02:49 pm
Thx Kendall, bear news just isn't what it used to be. thinking it has something to do with the komoRead More anchor moving out of our trossachs neighborhood:)
Kendall Watson (Editor) May 15, 2013 at 01:19 pm
Hey, thanks for the bear photos on Friday! Sorry about the slight delay in posting!
Ben H April 14, 2013 at 03:42 am
Agreed Mark, Much as this solution seems crazy, some things are worth paying for (law and order, aRead More decent safety net, good schools and yes roads). I do blame the tax hawks though. Washington already has a relatively regressive tax structure. The "choke the government" solution seems carried way too far.
Question Mark April 12, 2013 at 02:13 pm
I thank the author for his well thought out arguments regarding these important transportationRead More issues in Washington state. While I believe some of the ideas presented are debatable, for example I believe that a vital and well used transit system ought to be part of our congestion relief plan in metropolitan areas, the lack of realistic funding options for this system cannot be ignored. However, our legislature (both parties included) seems to place a higher priority on "no new taxes" than creating a sustainable future for the state in many areas, including the transportation system. More than that, though, we live in a state whose citizens have varied interests and priorities. Most of all, we need our government to set priorities so that citizen interests and needs can be reasonably served. It seems we are pretending that we can base tax policies and tax rates exclusively on individual self-interest, as is often the consequence "no new taxes" scheme (e.g. if I don't get a direct benefit for myself, I won't support paying for it). This seems to me to be as much a part of this problem as current transportation system priorities.
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