Canal Search For Missing Boy Suspended
PATTERSON, Calif. (CBS13) -- The Amber Alert for missing 4-year-old Juliani Cardenas is still active almost four days after he was kidnapped from his grandmother's arms, and investigators have suspended their search of a canal just a few miles from the boy's home.
A fifth vehicle not connected with the abduction was pulled from the Delta-Mendota Canal near Highway 33 just after noon Saturday, about a mile and a half from the location where a farm worker spotted a silver Toyota Corolla driving into the canal about an hour after the Tuesday kidnapping.
Four other vehicles, most of which had been reported stolen, have been recovered in the four days since 27-year-old Jose Esteban Rodriguez allegedly abducted Juliani.
The timing of the report and fresh tire tracks near the scene make the sighting the most credible lead in Juliani's disappearance, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department spokesman Royjindar Singh.
The complete lack of activity on Rodriguez's credit cards, phone or other counts lended credence to the grim possibility.
Investigators deployed sonar equipment Saturday morning to search the final area of the canal large enough to hold the suspect's vehicle. They will resume the search in two days further south, authorities said.
Juliani's mother, Tabitha Cardenas, said she believes Rodriguez is still on the loose and hiding out somewhere in the state.
"He's running out of money and he's running out of places to go," Tabitha said.
Rodriguez is the ex-boyfriend of the victim's mother and has reportedly grown increasingly angry and mentally unstable since their relationship ended several months ago.
Investigators said they are still hopeful a tip will come in that will lead them to find Juliani safe and sound.
Juliani Cardenas is described as 3 feet 6 inches tall, 40 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing dark pants, a light blue shirt, and black Spiderman shoes that light up.
Jose Rodriguez is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and was least seen wearing a white and black shirt, checkered shorts and a beanie.
Rodriguez was last seen driving a silver Toyota Corolla with a California license plate number of 6HBW445. The car has oversized aluminum wheels and the left rear wheel is a smaller, spare wheel.
Anyone with information on the suspect or victim's whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.
Since the Amber Alert system launched in California in 2002, 175 alerts have been issued and 213 children have been located. Authorities said 99 percent of the children have been found alive.
