Two young siblings who disappeared from the front yard of their Jacksonville home over the weekend have been found, authorities said Tuesday.
Braxton Williams, 6, and his sister Bri’ya Williams, 5, were last seen at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday outside their home at the Paradise Valley mobile park, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
“Great News! The Florida AMBER Alert for Braxton and Bri’ya Williams of Jacksonville has been resolved,” the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced at 4:37 p.m. on Tuesday. “The children are safe. Thank you for sharing!”
Hours earlier, T.K. Waters, chief of investigation, told reporters that investigators received information that a four-door older model white car playing “loud children’s music” was seen in the neighborhood.
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Authorities said Braxton is “on the Autism Spectrum but will communicate with others.” An Amber Alert for the two children remained active on Tuesday afternoon.
The car was possibly driven by an older white male, Waters said.
“We’d like to ask that individual some questions and have an opportunity to talk to him,” he told reporters.
Detectives searched more than 430 houses in the community and over 20 bodies of water, according to Waters. Authorities also spoke to Braxton and Bri’ya’s parents, who are 100 percent cooperative with the investigation, Waters said.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told reporters Monday that investigators don’t know if the children wandered off on their own, or were taken.
“If you live in the area, please search your property including under mobile homes, in sheds, in and around abandoned cars,” he said.
Bryan Williams, the children’s father, told NBC News that he was setting up for a barbecue outside the home and went inside for a minute or two. When he came back outside, Braxton and Bri’ya were gone, he said.
“I’ve been doing this for the last three years,” he said, calling it a “normal” day.
Williams said the children’s mother was also in the home at the time. He called the police after he searched for the children but couldn’t find them.
David K. Li contributed.