JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are asking for help to find a white, four-door car playing loud children’s music as the search for 6-year-old Braxton Williams and his 5-year-old sister, Bri’ya, nears the crucial 48-hour mark.
An Amber Alert remains in effect for the two children who went missing from their Whitehouse mobile home community on Jacksonville’s Westside, News 6 partner WJXT reported.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief of Investigations T.K. Waters said tips from the community pointed them to the vehicle, which they believe was driven by an older white man. He said they want to ask the driver some questions.
“We’re looking at every possibility," Waters said. “We are more than concerned. We’re going to continue to search.”
As of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Waters said, investigators had searched over 430 homes in the community, 130 acres and 20 bodies of water, using air units and K-9s. The dogs have not picked up any scents, Waters said.
He said the family continues to be 100% cooperative.
Investigators planned to continue the search at 11 a.m. Tuesday but were interrupted when dozens of volunteers showed up to help.
Officer Christian Hancock told News4Jax that weather conditions were deteriorating in the area and while they appreciate the support, they don’t need any citizen volunteers at this time.
According to JSO, Braxton and Bri’ya were reported missing by a family member about 1:30 p.m. Sunday. They were last seen about 11:30 a.m. while playing in the front yard of a home at the Paradise Village Mobile Home Park off Beaver just east of Chaffee Road. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued the Amber Alert about 5:15 p.m.
Braxton’s and Bri’ya’s disappearance has resonated with local families, including those who live nearby. Dozens of volunteers joined authorities when the search started Sunday and continued to search Monday night. Many offered prayers and expressed hope the children will be found safely.
Some parents News4Jax spoke to say they’re fearing the worst; that the children could have been abducted. They’re still hoping the children will be found alive. In a Monday afternoon press conference, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said searchers “have found nothing.”
As the search continues for Braxton and Bri’ya, investigators will be checking in on sexual predators and offenders who live nearby.
Within a 2-mile radius of the Paradise Village mobile home park, where the two children were reportedly last seen Sunday, there are 30 registered sexual offenders and predators.