Saturday, August 1, 2015

Missing Toddler: Lonzie Barton

Desperate search continues for toddler who went missing while his mother's boyfriend was looking after him

  • William Ruben Ebron Jr, 32, has been arrested in connection to 21-month-old Lonzie Barton's disappearance 
  • Investigators believe Ebron is lying about the child's whereabouts
  • Details of his violent past have emerged alleging he is a stalker and rapist 
  • An amber alert was issued for Lonzie last Friday after he was reported missing 
  • He was last seen at apartments in Jacksonville 
  • Ebron told police the boy was abducted from outside the apartment while inside his car when it was stolen 
  • An orange 1995 Honda Civic was driven away with the little boy inside 
By AP

Searchers have combed over 60 bodies of water, 40 square miles, and more than 2,000 homes and businesses in recent days, looking for a toddler who went missing eight days ago after his mother's boyfriend said someone stole his car while the boy slept inside, officials said Friday.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detective Chief Tom Hackney said during a news conference that the search for 21-month-old Lonzie Barton in northeast Florida will soon be being scaled back, but the investigation into the boy's disappearance is ongoing.

'I do not want that beautiful boy's resting place to be anything but the softest of the soft,' Hackney said.
Lonzie went missing July 23.
Investigators believe the car theft and abduction in Florida did not occur as William Ruben Ebron Jr (pictured left), 32, described and believe he was lying about 21-month-old Lonzie Barton's (right) disappearance
Ebron had told police that he had got Lonzie and his five-year-old sister ready to go pick up their mother, 25-year-old Lonna Barton, from her job at Wacko's Gentlemen's Club, when his Honda Civic was stolen with the boy still inside
Ebron had told police that he had got Lonzie and his five-year-old sister ready to go pick up their mother, 25-year-old Lonna Barton, from her job at Wacko's Gentlemen's Club, when his Honda Civic was stolen with the boy still inside

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the man who lived with Lonzie's mother and was caring for the boy and his 5-year-old sister is a suspect.

Investigators have said William Ruben Ebron Jr. isn't cooperating with them. He's in jail without bond on two counts of felony child neglect in relation to the case, but investigators won't give details on those charges, citing privacy laws. 

Ebron has a lengthy arrest history, records show, including convictions for misdemeanor battery charges, robbery and grand theft. 
His ex-girlfriend also filed several domestic violence injunctions against him.
Police reported that the stolen vehicle was recovered about 15 to 20 minutes later but Lonzie was not found inside (the boy pictured above with his parents, Lonna Barton and Christopher Barton) 
Police reported that the stolen vehicle was recovered about 15 to 20 minutes later but Lonzie was not found inside (the boy pictured above with his parents, Lonna Barton and Christopher Barton) 
Authorities said Lonna Barton and the boy's father, Christopher Barton, 40, were being cooperative. Police said neither of them are involved in Lonzie's disappearance
Authorities said Lonna Barton and the boy's father, Christopher Barton, 40, were being cooperative. Police said neither of them are involved in Lonzie's disappearance
Ebron, the boyfriend of Lonzie's mom, had told police he saw his orange 1995 Honda Civic, pictured, being driven away with the little boy inside
Ebron, the boyfriend of Lonzie's mom, had told police he saw his orange 1995 Honda Civic, pictured, being driven away with the little boy inside
Ebron initially told authorities that Lonzie was in the car when it was stolen. The car was quickly recovered, but Lonzie was not.
Ebron told The Florida Star newspaper on Wednesday that he was caring for his girlfriend's two children. 
He told The Star that the 5-year-old girl wanted to stay inside an apartment with his roommate. Lonzie, he told the paper, was asleep in the car. 
Ebron said he left Lonzie in the car to go inside to charge his cellphone, and when he returned to the car, he saw it take off.
Officers found the car shortly after Ebron called police, but detectives want to know where it traveled that night.
As the search for the boy continues, new information has already come to light about Ebron's violent past. Court records show he is alleged to be a stalker and rapist, who attacked his ex-girlfriend and left her with cracked ribs
Hackney said Lonzie's mother has been cooperative, but he called Ebron's interview with the paper 'fiction.'
'I'm tired of asking him to do the right thing,' Hackney said.
A call to the Duval County Public Defender's office, which is representing Ebron, was not immediately returned.
The reward to find Lonzie now stands at more than $12,000. Officials said they've received upwards of 400 tips in the case.
The search for Lonzie also turned up two unrelated sets of human remains. 
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said this week that a man's remains and clothing were found Monday near a business park. 
They had apparently been there at least a year. Foul play wasn't suspected.
On Tuesday, searchers found a car linked to a 2003 missing-persons case at the bottom of a pond. Skeletal remains appeared to be inside.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

When the murdered and disposed of infants and children have been found, or when the (known evidence) suspects are found to be lying and are leading searchers on forever and endless wild goose-chase searches, they need to be shot between the eyes and left for dead. Judge, jury and execution style on the spot, no questions asked. Get it over with. Next?

Anonymous said...

This lame brained excuse of a mother needs some charges pressed against her too, for leaving her babies in an unsafe, negligent and dangerous environment. Truth be known, she's a POS too. She certainly should not have any charge or say-so of her surviving child or children, and only supervised visitation, if that. Stupid nit-wit, leaving her precious babies in the hands of a sicko criminal! Anything could have happened to those children, and did. God only knows how her little daughter was being treated, whether she was being sexually abused or not, as we sure don't.

Anonymous said...

Missing woman, Heather Hester. Husband Scott posted on fb. For some reason I can't copy the quote but 2 things stood out to me: He gave a proper social introduction, "My wife, Heather." Healso made a backhanded comment toward the detective and wasn't singing his praises. He said something about the detective being much more engaged now, which seemed to me to indicate he wasn't thinking he was engaged enough before now.

https://m.facebook.com/s.hester70?fref=nf&pn_ref=story

Lemon said...

"The search for Lonzie also turned up two unrelated sets of human remains."
Good grief.

Anonymous said...

A violent criminal Negroid? I am shocked! Shocked I tell you!

Trigger said...

How many more innocent children have to sacrifice their lives because their mother moved a dangerous man into their home and gave him an opportunity?

Lonzie's mother should be charged right along with her stud muffin. She moved this monster into her home and gave him an opportunity to vent his rage on them and then lie about it.

Her reckless behavior contributed the death of her son.

Anonymous said...

Ruben Ebron requested an interview with The Florida Star. The paper is out only in print right now but a local news outlet reported on it. Ebron and the interviewer agreed that the paper would only quote him. Here's one of the questions and his answer:

Florida Star: Why did you leave the car running with the children inside?

Ebron: We were getting ready to go pick up my girlfriend from work and I remembered an item and decided to go back into the house to get it. The five year old followed me into the house. I took the keys but left the car running to allow me to open the front door. We often leave the car running because you have to raise the hood to start it the first time. After that, there is a switch inside. Once you turn the car off you have to go back under the hood to start it. Lonzie was asleep and the five year old was playing games on my phone. She wanted to stay there so I left her watching TV with my roommate. I had to re-charge the phone before being able to make the 911 call after I discovered the car was missing.

http://jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2015-07-31/story/florida-star-interview-william-ruben-ebron

I'm not very good at SA so all I've gotten so far is of the 146 words in his reply the first 54 don't refer to the question, 43 are the answer, and 49 are additional information. So the discussion of the running car works out to 37%/29%/34% if you apply the 25/50/25 formula. If it applies here.

Ebron starts his answer with getting ready to go pick up his girlfriend from work so that's sensitive to him, as is his need to explain his other actions.

Anyway, I'm interested in what more experienced people here have to say about his answer. I'm purposely not including any details that LE has released about the case - I'd like to know what a "cold" analysis might reveal.

More of his interview can be found at the link. Thanks!

Just Sayin' said...

Who leaves a toddler in a hot car in Florida in the summertime?!?

John Mc Gowan said...

The Florida Star: An interview with William 'Ruben' Ebron

The following report is republished with permission from The Florida Star.
William “Ruben” Ebron agreed to sit and talk with The Florida Star Newspaper. At this time, he is the only suspect in the disappearance of 21 month old Lonzie Barton. Chief Tom Hackney says his focus is on Ebron because he was the last person with Lonzie and he does not believe the story told about his car being stolen.

Ebron is in isolation and is not allowed to see or talk with anyone other than family, including his girlfriend. Since his arrest he has talked with his father and now The Florida Star.

The first question we asked was “why do you think you are the only suspect? “

Ebron: Because they say I am the last person to be with Lonzie.

Florida Star: Chief Hackney is saying you are refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Are you withholding information?

Ebron: No, I told them everything I know. They want to talk about drugs and other things other than finding Lonzie. I did some things in the past that does not look good and I did not want to talk about them. I answered all of their questions about Lonzie. I want Lonzie to be found, he needs to be with his mother.

Florida Star: Why did you leave the car running with the children inside?

Ebron: We were getting ready to go pick up my girlfriend from work and I remembered an item and decided to go back into the house to get it. The five year old followed me into the house. I took the keys but left the car running to allow me to open the front door. We often leave the car running because you have to raise the hood to start it the first time. After that, there is a switch inside. Once you turn the car off you have to go back under the hood to start it. Lonzie was asleep and the five year old was playing games on my phone. She wanted to stay there so I left her watching TV with my roommate. I had to re-charge the phone before being able to make the 911 call after I discovered the car was missing.

Florida Star: Is there anything you have not told the investigators that would help find Lonzie?

Ebron: No, they wanted to search the car so I let them. They were able to check my phone on the spot. I told them there were no passwords, no locks. The picture for the Amber Alert was off my phone. They talked with me about four or five hours that morning. This may sound selfish but they are trying to make me look like a monster and I got to start looking at my defense.

Florida Star: Who else should they be looking for?

Ebron: We had been warned to watch out for Lonzie's father as he may try to follow us to find out where we lived. I don't know .I just want Lonzie home with his mother.

The Florida Star asked Ebron about his past and he advised that he was born in Jacksonville but grew up in California and Hawaii since his father was in the military. He is the middle child and is a welder. He lost his job in April after his second motorcycle accident and has spent much of his time helping his girlfriend take care of their children. They have shopped for wedding rings because “she is who I wish to marry.”

At the time The Florida Star went to press the investigation was in day seven of the search and had moved to the Northside near the Trout River. A large reward has been posted. Investigators are asking anyone that may have seen Ebron's car, a 1995 orange and black Honda Civic prior to or after Lonzie’s disappearance to please let them know.

John Mc Gowan said...

Link^^

http://jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2015-07-31/story/florida-star-interview-william-ruben-ebron

Trigger said...

Ebron is controlling all the information to the media.

He wants people to think that he's a decent guy who's had a lot of bad luck lately. He can easily explain anything that happened.

"Lonzie was asleep and the five-year old was playing games on my phone."

He never stated that Lonzie was asleep in the car. It was the five-year old girl who depleted his cell phone battery thereby causing the need to recharge it and delay calling 911.

"I remembered an item and decided to go back into the house to get it"

"An item" denotes singular. Was the item Lonzie's body?

No reliable denial in any of his statements. He attempts to shift the focus onto Lonzie's father as "we had been warned" about him. He wants his audience to believe that Lonzie's father is a stalker who is waiting to strike.

They have shopped for rings because "she is who I wish to marry" awkward statement. Sounds weak and deceptive.

How can "they" buy rings when he has no gainful employment?

Ebron introduces the topic of drugs coupled with Lonzie. I hope Lonzie was't drugged and/or sold to satisfy a drug debt or used as chattel for acquiring drugs.











Anonymous said...

Tigger, Ebron had already introduced the topic of drugs. In the initial statement given by investigative LE, he said that he had gone back inside to do a hit of cocaine. Now it's, 'he went back inside to get something he forgot.' Yeah, right. A snort up his stupid nose.

As for shopping for rings, he probably thought his good lay would by her own rings from her tips and she probably would have, being the dense POS she is.

Anonymous said...

...meant to say "would BUY her own rings...."

ima.grandma said...

This entire article is worthwhile. I wish we had clones of this LE Officer placed around the country.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2015/07/24/j-s-o-working-possible-child-abduction-case/30607457/

Snipped
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) Chief of Investigations Tom Hackney has said repeatedly in the nine-day search for the toddler that it was an intelligence-based investigation, and as of Friday the over-276 officers involved had followed up on over 400 tips.

Snipped
He told police that he'd left Lonzie and the toddler's 5-year-old sister in his car with it running at the Ravenswood Apartment complex while he went inside without them. The 5-year-old, he said, came inside because she said she was scared, and when he returned outside, Ebron reportedly said that the car was driving away.

Snipped
"He WAS a very happy baby with beautiful blue eyes, loved the water, loved animals," she said. "The last time I saw him and spent time with him, we were at a splash park in Lake Butler and he was just in awe over the water."

Anonymous said...

He couldn't leave the kids (who were likely sleeping anyway at 2:30 am) with his roommate while he went to pick up his girlfriend?

Anonymous said...

So very many questions. "I remembered an item." Why doesn't he say what it was? Wasn't the 5 year old strapped into a car seat? Doesn't the 5 year old have a name? Couldn't he use the roommate's phone? What does the roommate say about all this?

Anonymous said...

"the five year old was playing games on my phone." At 2:30 a.m.? And then this same phone had to be recharged to call 911?

Unknown said...

You don't need to be aware of statement analysis or be intuitive to lies to know this guy is making things up. His story doesn't even add up in the first place.

Anonymous said...

What's your point, anonymous?

Unknown said...

Check Florida missing persons this is confirmed http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/person/viewMissingPerson-119832083.a

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's my approaching age and station in life, or perhaps it's all due to my upbringing in a religious home environment with strong family values; but what in hell is a young mother of two small children (or 3?) doing out there twisting her nearly naked butt around at all hours of the night (or any other time), allowing her pathetic children to be dragged up and down the road at all hours with a bum she can ill afford to support; all for a few dollars when she has babies at home who need her full time attention and care! But oh no, she would need to sleep most of the day, STILL neglecting them.

AND with a black stud muffin, who could have just as easily been a piece of white trash; (yeah, stud-muffin, as someone else appropriately named her live-in bed partner whom she beds down with in front of her little children), AND who has nothing compatible with her babies and no stability to offer them, not even a secure home environment. Good Lord, she even had another male roommate living in the apartment with her helpless children. How could she know if they might not be passing them around between themselves for sexual purposes when she wasn't there!

What ARE these stupid women thinking, placing their children in such a situation while THEY neglect and ignore the most precious things in their lives. Where was the childrens' father, why wasn't he taking custody of his babies from their POS mother, whose living arrangement for his children could only get worse, not better? He certainly should have been at least trying, including with the help of her own family. Didn't ANYONE care what happened to these babies?

Sorry low-down POS. She needs to be taken out and horse whipped with a buggy whip and I'm not kidding either!

Verbal Kint said...

Does anyone else think it's weird that this is a relative of missing Haleigh Cummings. The mothers of both children are cousins.

Anonymous said...

Nah... I don't find it weird at all Kint; just the usual 'bad genes in the family' blood lines. On BOTH sides. I know that Ronald Cummings made Crystal Sheffield's' life a living hell starting when she was only fourteen years old, but Crystal had also defied her mother and run off with deadbeat teen thug Ronnie. Nonetheless, she could have taken steps to clean up her OWN life had she ever tried and might have been able to rescue little Haleigh and Butter Bean herself had she been willing to make a few small sacrifices for them. She wasn't, wouldn't and didn't.

It seemed that Marie her mother, was the only one trying to help little Haleigh but reached a dead end at the sherrif's office when she should have been taking her pictures of Haleighs abuse straight to the DCF and DEMANDING that Haleigh be removed. I guess she didn't realize that Sheriff Hardy wasn't to be trusted, him being thicker than thieves with RC and his family.

However, Crystal had plenty of time to find the right path to be able to take care of her kids, just like this other piece a trash whose little boy is now missing and most likely dead, who ALSO never had to subject her kids to her cocaine snorting stud in the first place.

Nah.. It's just more of the same for these low life women whose helpless and neglected children mean so little to them. Their poor babes never stand a chance.

Anonymous said...

Update.

JSO released video tonight showing Ruben Ebron's car driving to the spot where it was found abandoned on the morning Lonzie disappeared. Two minutes later the video shows him running from the same direction. So he's busted. You can watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTisyZ99U0E

It puts a whole new spin on his interview:

Florida Star: Why did you leave the car running with the children inside?

Ebron: We were getting ready to go pick up my girlfriend from work and I remembered an item and decided to go back into the house to get it. The five year old followed me into the house. I took the keys but left the car running to allow me to open the front door. We often leave the car running because you have to raise the hood to start it the first time. After that, there is a switch inside. Once you turn the car off you have to go back under the hood to start it. Lonzie was asleep and the five year old was playing games on my phone. She wanted to stay there so I left her watching TV with my roommate. I had to re-charge the phone before being able to make the 911 call after I discovered the car was missing.

+++

Notice he doesn't say "after my car was stolen" but rather after he discovered it was "missing."

Anonymous said...

So yet another black victimised a white. This time an adult vs a toddler. You only need to look at interracial crime statistics - which follow similar patterns in all western countries - to see that whites are the true victims of racism.

I keep checking my white privilege but I can't find it.

foodnerd said...


Quoting another random Anonymous:

"Anonymous said...
So yet another black victimised a white. This time an adult vs a toddler. You only need to look at interracial crime statistics - which follow similar patterns in all western countries - to see that whites are the true victims of racism.

I keep checking my white privilege but I can't find it."
~~~~~~~

If it disappeared with your class, intelligence and self-respect, it's probably just as long gone.

Anonymous said...

Lonzie's mother posted on Facebook:

In a post published Wednesday night, Lauramore wrote: As the world gets ready for bed, I stay awake wishing you were in my arms and I pray to God that he keeps you safe in his until he puts you back in mine. I can't eat or sleep or doing anything that doesn't make me want you more than words can express only thing that makes me want to get up is knowing that you are still out there and I will not rest until I know you are home baby boy. Your mommy loves you more than I love myself and I will never give up on you. I LOVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART. LOVE YOUR MOMMY!!"

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/lonzies-mom-speaks-out-facebook-search-costs-30000/nnJyd/

It's hard to tell what she's saying exactly - does she think Lonzie is dead or not? The statement seems to be all about her - she can't eat, she can't sleep, she can't rest. In fact, I don't know what the purpose of her posting this was at all. Is is to convince her "audience" that she's a good mother who's suffering? Why no concern about Lonzie?

This post comes around the same time someone else posted on FB that he is Lonzie's father, not Chris Barton. Also, Chris Barton has a go gimmeemoney page asking for donations to help him because he lost his job while searching for Lonzie. So is Lonna trying to gain sympathy for a specific purpose?

DAB said...

I picked up on that it's all about her as well. What do you think she's saying in this recent interview....other than "you know"?

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2015/08/14/lonzie-bartons-parents-interview-believe-child-alive/31758843/

Anonymous said...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/11/police-say-may-have-found-remains-missing-florida-toddler.html

Anonymous said...

I have learned so much from your Blog. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

This is such a sad case, and the neglect by Lonzie's mother is sickening. I have listened to all of the interrogation recordings of Lonna & Ruben posted on Youtube, and as I watched I kept wondering when Lonna would cry/break down/freak out over her child being missing/kidnapped. It seems this is just another night for Lonna! In the interrogation room she is calm and never refers to Lonzie by his name, rather 'my kid' or 'my f**king kid". 7 days after her son has still not been found, in interrogation she seems 'unbothered' by this fact, still evidently high and numb to her appropriate emotions.



She was most interested in caring for herself and Ebron, and primarily interested in daily drug use. Her children were an afterthought. They were carried around town with Ruben for drug runs at all hours of the night/day; and Lonna never cared about those details. She revealed that she had set an appointment for a sick Lonzie on Friday, while for two days he exhibited signs of head trauma and by others description looked 'pathetic'. And, Brittany, Lonna's friend, when she noticed the bruise behind the ear, she didn't ACT/HELP either after hearing a weak ass 'nothing happened' excuse from Ebron. Ebron had also taken care of Brittany's own kids, she noticed and did nothing to help him! It was the drugs they were interested in/cared about. If his drugs went missing - now there we have the 'thing' he really cares about! If they acted appropriately and called for help/ went to ER, they might not be able to get high! They were all only interested in maintaining their drug habits as long as they were high, things were ok.

If Lonna did set a doctor appointment for Lonzie on Friday, and Lonzie did have head trauma, this may have been in Ruben's mind that it was upcoming. Someone would be taking a close look at Lonzie, and Lonna and Ruben would both have to answer to it and possibly have the child taken away. I am not sure if that doc appointment has been confirmed or not.

Lonna, her friend, and Ruben were high on many different drugs this entire experience and she is emotionally void of anything REAL because she was numb from those drugs, distanced far from the emotional trauma of a lost child.

Ebron had no concern or care for Lonzie as evident in his constant low voice, lack of concern, poor sorry excuse that the car was stolen. He sat in jail MONTHS with knowledge of this child's location. He wanted to cover either heinous act against Lonzie or to deteriorate toxicity samples.

It doesn't do much good to feel sorry for Lonzie Barton, but I pray he is at peace. His own Mother had the opportunity to do right by her baby but chose not to, SHE failed him, and she doesn't even seem to mourn him. There is no justice here.