But officials now say Ebron has directed authorities to the wooded area where those human remains were found covered but not buried.
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“We strongly believe we have found the remains of Lonzie Barton in a wooded area nearby here”, said Williams.
“That little boy didn’t need to be discarded like a piece of trash”, Hackney said. He was Lonzie’s caregiver at the time of his disappearance.
Ruben Ebron, the boyfriend of Lonzie’s mother, at first told police that someone drove off in his vehicle from the apartment parking lot with Lonzie inside.
Lauramore Barton’s cousin, Sabra Rhue, arrived at the search site Monday to see if the remains were Lonzie’s.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Lonzie Barton Enlarge AP Lonna Lauramore Barton Enlarge Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office William Ebron Jr. The judge has not yet decided whether she can do so, however.
Ebron was later charged with child neglect, feeding false information to investigators and tampering with evidence.
Sheriff Mike Williams said the search is part of an ongoing investigation.
JSO’s chief of investigations, Tom Hackney, who was the face of the search for the missing toddler, and State Attorney Angela Corey also spoke at a news conference.
Lonzie’s mother, who was dating Ebron when the boy disappeared, testified at a pre-trial hearing Friday that Ebron sold drugs every day she was with him, including when her children were around.
She left Lonzi and his 5-year-old sister in Ebron’s care while she went to work as a dancer at a local bar.
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According to court records, Ebron called police on July 24, saying the boy had been strapped inside a vehicle seat when he stepped back into his apartment to get something. Ebron initially told police that his auto was stolen with the toddler inside, though police later alleged that he was lying, the station reported.
