Find Messiah Evans: Amber Alert issued for 3-year-old abducted in South LA
Search underway for missing 3-year-old in SoCal
The suspect, 38-year-old Joshua Pendleton, allegedly took the child and fled in an ex-girlfriend’s white 2006 Saturn VUE after a physical altercation.
LOS ANGELES - Authorities have launched a multi-county search for 3-year-old Messiah Evans following an abduction in South Los Angeles late Monday night.
The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department as investigators intensify efforts to locate the child and suspect.
What we know:
Messiah Evans was last seen at around 10:20 p.m. Monday near 66th Street and Normandie Avenue.
According to the LAPD, the suspect, Joshua Pendleton, is the ex-boyfriend of the child's mother and is not the biological father.
Pendleton and the ex-girlfriend got into a fight before he allegedly took her vehicle with Messiah inside, and drove away.
The vehicle is a white 2006 Saturn VUE with California license plate 5SHE918.
Pendleton is described as a man, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 265 pounds, with black hair and hazel eyes.
Messiah is a boy, 3 feet tall, weighing 50 pounds, and was last seen wearing a burgundy onesie.
The CHP confirmed the alert spans Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties.
What you can do:
Law enforcement officials are urging the public to keep a lookout for the white Saturn VUE.
If you see the vehicle, the suspect, or the child, do not approach them and immediately call 911 to report the location and which way they were headed.
The Source: This report is based on official alerts and statements provided by the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department.