Sheriff: 19-month-old boy possibly abducted during car theft

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – An Amber Alert has been issued for a 19-month-old Jacksonville boy who police said was apparently taken during a car theft early Friday outside an apartment complex.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Lonzie Barton was in a car belonging to his mother’s boyfriend when it was taken just after 2 a.m. Friday. The vehicle was recovered several blocks away but the little boy was not inside.

The boy weighs about 20 pounds and has blue eyes and blond hair.

The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/1CUfGf8 ) reported the boy’s 5-year-old sister was able to get out of the orange 1995 Honda Civic and alert her mother’s boyfriend, who had briefly left the children inside the car while he went back inside their apartment to get something. They were on their way to pick up the children’s mother who was just getting off work from her job at a restaurant.

Chief Tom Hackney said they are searching nearby areas because it’s possible the boy could have also left the car before it was taken. They’ve also asked residents to check yards and vacant lots in the area. Investigators are asking area businesses to check surveillance videos for any possible clues.

The sheriff’s office said on its official Twitter account that the boy was wearing only a diaper when he was taken. They also tweeted that they’ve contacted the child’s father in nearby Baker County and he does not have the child.

During a news conference Friday morning, Hackney said investigators are examining the recovered vehicle and looking for any DNA evidence. Sheriff’s officials are asking anyone with information about the boy to contact them.