A search is underway in Alabama for a 4-year-old boy who has been missing since Wednesday morning, and whose father has been arrested on a separate explosives-related charge.
Johnathan Everett Boley was last seen at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday near Highway 195, in a wooded and rural area of Jasper, Alabama, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Jasper is a small city located about 40 miles northwest of Birmingham.
He is described as white with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a yellow Mickey Mouse shirt, black pants and Paw Patrol shoes.
The Walker County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the missing child around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff Nick Smith told reporters Thursday.
Smith said it was reported to authorities that Johnathan was with his 6-year-old brother and their dog when he disappeared. It was not immediately clear where his older brother is.
Law enforcement searched Johnathan’s home and launched an air and ground search using helicopters with thermal detection and canines that went until 3 a.m. and resumed later Thursday morning, Smith said.
Explosives-related charge
Smith told reporters that explosive devices were found on the child’s father’s property during the search and law enforcement had to “take care” of the devices before they could execute a thorough search warrant.
The father was arrested on an explosives-related charge, Smith said. He said the charge had “nothing to do” with the search for Johnathan, but “it is still a factor that is hindering our search,” Smith said.
Smith described the father, whom he did not name, as being formerly in the military.
It’s not clear why explosives were at the home.
“Neighbors have said they’ve been hearing explosions for weeks now. They didn’t really know where it was coming from. The morning before the [missing person] report came in, one of the neighbors reported that they heard an explosion about 4 a.m. that morning, they just didn’t know where it came from. Can’t say that that’s in any kind of connection to the missing child,” Smith said.
Johnathan’s parents are separated, and the child’s mother moved to Florida last year. As part of the custody agreement the father was given five days a year for visitation, Smith said.
The mother went to Alabama from Florida on Wednesday evening and is cooperating with authorities, according to the sheriff. The father was interviewed by the FBI on Wednesday, he said.
The search
The area where Johnathan was reported missing is heavily wooded and rural.
Smith said there isn’t any indication the child is in the woods, but they continue to search the area.
“We’ve got no thermal, no imagery from the helicopter and drones,” he explained.
Smith also noted that the dog Johnathan was last with is still missing.
“Talking to one of the neighbors, that dog showed up pretty much every day on their game cameras at their corn feeder. The last time that he has the dog on his camera was on the 26th, the afternoon of the 26th,” the sheriff said.
At least eight potential explosive devices were found across the street from the father’s home in a wooded area, halting the volunteer search effort, Smith said.
The devices were later cleared as not explosive, and volunteers can recommence helping with the search at 7 a.m. Friday, he said.
Smith commended the support in the search saying 126 first responders from multiple nearby agencies and 161 volunteers helped cover over 500 acres on Thursday alone.
Nicole Duarte contributed.
