Jon Dabkowski and Gabriel Minarcin now missing 25 years, Tarentum, Pennsylvania

Normally, we think of "safety in numbers". It is usually safer when at least two people are together.
But somehow, both of these boys disappeared.
Photos and information from the Charley Project. First, Jon Michael Dabkowski's profile:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 14,
1982 from Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: November 9, 1970
Age: 11 years old
Height and Weight:
4'10, 72 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair,
hazel eyes. Dabkowski has a small scar under his left eye. He has a deep cleft
in the middle of his chin. His complexion is clear and he is right-handed. There
are slight bags beneath Dabkowski's eyes. His nicknames are Dabbo and Jonny.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A maroon jacket and boots.

Details of
Disappearance
Dabkowski was last seen at approximately 5:30 p.m. on January
14, 1982, in his hometown of Tarentum, Pennsylvania. He and his friend, Gabriel
Minarcin, finished dinner at the Dabkowski home and were walking three doors
down to Minarcin's family's home. The boys never arrived at the house and have
not been seen again.
Authorities believe that Minarcin and Dabkowski may
have fallen through thin ice near their residences and drowned, as they were
last seen walking together near the Allegheny River. Footprints in the snow lead
to the riverbank, but there were no prints leading away from the river. However,
Dabkowski had been told by his parents to stay away from the river, and he
dependably obeyed this rule. An extensive search of the water turned up no
evidence that anyone had fallen in.
Neil B. Hammons stole Dabkowski's
identity in 1998. He was stopped by police while driving and showed the officer
a driver's license in Dabkowski's name. The officer realized Dabkowski was a
missing person, but as the man was a legal adult, he could not hold him. He let
the man go and notified Dabkowski's family, who thought their son had been
found. It turned out Hammons had been looking for a new identity and had chosen
Dabkowski off a missing persons' website which gave his information. He had
nothing to do with Dabkowski's disappearance which, like Minarcin's, remains
unsolved.
Dabkowki's family still resides in the house he lived in. Due to
the lack of clues in the boys' cases, their disappearances are classified as
non-family abductions.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tarentum Police Department
412-224-1515

Then, Gabriel's information:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 14, 1982
from Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: October 5, 1971
Age: 10 years old
Height and Weight: 4'0, 60 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel
eyes. Minarcin has a mole on his right wrist. One of his upper front teeth was
chipped at the time of his 1982 disappearance.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A maroon jacket and boots.

Details of Disappearance
Minarcin was last
seen at approximately 5:30 p.m. in his hometown of Tarentum, Pennsylvania. He
and his friend, Jon
Dabkowski, finished dinner at Dabkowski's residence and were walking three
doors down to Minarcin's family's home. The boys never arrived at the house and
have not been seen again.
Authorities believe that Minarcin and Dabkowski
may have fallen through thin ice near their residences and drowned, as they were
last seen walking together near the Allegheny River. Footprints in the snow lead
to the riverbank, but there were no prints leading away from the river. However,
Dabkowski had been told by his parents to stay away from the river, and he
dependably obeyed this rule. An extensive search of the water turned up no
evidence that anyone had fallen in.
Police have lost touch with Minarcin's
family, who moved away from Tarentum in the 1990s. Dabkowki's family still
resides in the house he lived in. Due to the lack of clues in the boys' cases,
their disappearances are classified as non-family abductions.

You can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
You can print a poster of Jon here and one of Gabriel here.