Photo: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation / Courtesy
A A man was jailed in Arizona and faces a murder charge in connection with the disappearance of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl he had been babysittingauthorities reported, adding that the search for the girl was ongoing.
Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested Thursday in Arizona on one count of child neglect in the case of Athena Brownfield, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.
URGENT MISSING CHILD ALERT‼️ Cyril, #Oklahoma
4-year-old Athena Brownfield was last seen on January 8, 2023. @OSBI_OK has a second person in custody in connection to the investigation of the missing 4-year-old. pic.twitter.com/jntLXILfG4
— National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (@MissingKids) January 13, 2023
The Investigators said late Friday that Adams also faces a first-degree murder charge, but did not elaborate on what led to the charges.
“We are still looking for her,” OSBI spokeswoman Brook Arbeitman said via text about Athena.
Adams is being held at the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix awaiting extradition to Oklahoma, OSBI said.
Previously, the Oklahoma authorities arrested Alysia Adams, 31, on two counts of child neglect, the office said in a statement Thursday night.
Alysia Adams, who OSBI claimed to be married to Ivon Adams, she remained jailed in Oklahoma’s Caddo County on Friday.
The office did not release further details about the arrests. It was not clear if Adams had an attorney to comment on her behalf.
The arrests are related to the search for Athena, who was reported missing Tuesday in Cyril, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City, the bureau said.
A mailman found Athena’s 5-year-old sister wandering alone in front of the Adams house Monday afternoon and alerted the police to Cyril. Authorities later determined that Athena was missing.
The girls had been in the care of Alysia and Ivon Adams, and Athena’s sister was taken into protective custody, the office said.
Authorities said they believe Athena was wearing a hoodie with a butterfly design when she went missing.
The office said it was working with other law enforcement agencies and volunteers in the search, which included a helicopter, boats, all-terrain vehicles, a specially trained ground crew and a review of surveillance video of Cyril’s surroundings.
The city of Cyril has also suspended garbage service while investigators search for leads.
The bureau said agents were following leads from Oklahoma and other states.
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