LAURINBURG, N.C. – On Wednesday afternoon, an Amber Alert was issued for four-year-old Raul Gonzales (also referred to as Raul Johnson) of Laurinburg.
According to family, Raul (pronounced rah-OOL) got into an argument with his older sister who had stayed home sick from school that day. Following the argument, he walked out of the house and never came back home.
Raul Gonzales (also referred to as Raul Johnson) has been missing since Wednesday morning.
Gonzales lives with his family on Village Drive in Laurinburg, which is located just a half a mile from the South Carolina state line.
According to a recent update by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is assisting on the case, Gonzales is described as a Hispanic boy with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing an orange and white striped shirt with tigers on it and white pants with rocket ships on them. He is said to be about 38 pounds and three feet tall.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department at 910-276-3385.
The search is now in its third day, and the following is a timeline of what the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department and other authorities know so far:
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018
In an unrelated incident, Gonzales wandered off from his home Tuesday morning, but was located about 20 minutes later by his grandfather at a neighbor’s house.
Gonzales’ oldest sister shared online that it is not uncommon for the kids to go in and out of the house and play around the property. She answered those criticizing the safety of the children stating that it is a close neighborhood where they know everyone. Gonzales is the youngest of eight siblings, the oldest of which is a senior in high school.
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018
That morning, Gonzales and his aforementioned sister got into an argument and left the home.
· Gonzales and his sister were under the care of their grandfather. Gonzales left the home while his grandfather was in the kitchen cooking.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., Gonzales is said to have visited a neighbor for candy. The neighbor claims that she told him to go back home to his “papa” (Gonzales’ grandfather), and he left.
· The Gonzales home faces Village Drive and the neighbor he visited lives on Crestline Road. Her backyard and the Gonzales’ family backyard are adjacent to one another. Also, there is a dirt road located next to the Gonzales home that connects Crestline Road to Village Drive. This means that Gonzales never actually had to walk on or along either road to travel between the two homes.
Gonzales’ grandfather contacted authorities when he failed to locate Gonzales outside.
· Both family and the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department report that Gonzales’ grandfather searched the property for about an hour before finally contacting the police. He also contacted Gonzales mother, Annie Johnson, who came home from work to help with the search.
An Amber Alert was issued.
· After the preliminary search by local law enforcement failed to locate Gonzales, Scotland County Sheriff Ralph Kersey felt that an Amber Alert needed to be issued.
The search began.
· Local law enforcement officers and volunteers began an organized search for Gonzales. The search teams, including K-9s, canvassed nearby wooded areas and buildings in hopes to find Gonzales.
Searchers turn their attention to a local pond.
· Three different search dogs led investigators from the boy’s home to a nearby pond. The pond is located on the opposite side of Crestline Road and is about 800 yards away from the Gonzales home.
The search continued throughout the night.
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018
The search continued.
· Hundreds of volunteers joined in the search along with K-9s, drones and helicopters.
Around midday, a dive team from Cumberland County began searching the nearby pond.
· They searched the pond for several hours, but were unable to locate any sign of Gonzales.
Search area was expanded search to Smyrna Church Road.
· The search area’s two-mile radius was extended. At this time, officers were still working under the assumption that Gonzales had wandered off. The fact that Gonzales was barefooted, combined with the frigid temperatures from the night before, did not give the Sheriff’s Department much reason to believe that he could have travelled very far on foot.
Despite family history, Kersey still feels that Gonzales left on his own.
· In September 2017, Gonzales’ parents were both arrested on 21 counts of charges related to the sexual assault of a child. Gonzales was not involved in these crimes.
· According to records, Gonzales’ father, Carlos Juan Gonzales, is still incarcerated. His mother, Annie Johnson, was released when the court determined that there was not enough evidence to convict her.
· In a press conference, Kersey shared with the media and the community that they do not feel like the family was involved.
“There is nothing that we have found in the interviews that we have done with the family members, with the next door neighbors, or the information that is being provided from the public that would indicated that we are dealing with foul play,” Kersey said. “The most reliable information that we have had is the information that has been given to us by our K-9s.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived and offered assistance.
· Kersey stated that the FBI had reached out and offered assistance and he expressed his appreciation.
Plans were made to drain the pond, and are still ongoing.
“I want to drain the pond,” Kersey said. “I’m not going to leave with any doubt in my mind. It’s not that the divers didn’t do a good job, but as a small child that weighs only 35 pounds, if we don’t drain it, then that doubt will always be there.”
The focus will shift from “search and rescue” to more of an “investigative” approach.
“Right at this moment, the Sheriff’s Department, along with the State Bureau of Investigation and FBI, has shifted our part from a search and rescue to more of an investigative approach,” Kersey said Thursday night. “A very proactive investigative approach.”
The search continued overnight again.
· Around 7 p.m., another round of officers came in to relieve those that searched throughout the day. They continued looking for Gonzales all night.
Friday, Jan. 26, 2018
The pond was started to be drained by authorities. That process is still ongoing at the time of this report.
Ralph Kersey’s next press conference is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday. All information included is courtesy of the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department.
Those who may have any information are encouraged to contact the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department at 910-276-3385.
