Police: Amber Alert deactivated for 2-year-old California boy abducted by 'armed and dangerous' father
An Amber Alert was issued Saturday morning by the California Highway Patrol on behalf of the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities were searching for Steven Weir, 32, and his 2-year-old son John Weir. They were last seen Friday at around 7 p.m., officials said.
Two bodies were found in Tuolumne County near a car linked to an Amber Alert issued over the weekend. The identification of the people found is not known at this time, the sheriff's office said.
According to ABC 30, Steven Weir was supposed to meet his estranged wife, Sarah, at a child custody exchange location, but he never arrived.
"I personally believe he is no longer in California, I think he's left the area," she said previously.
Sarah filled for divorce earlier this year and believes it could've motivated the abduction. She said her son suffers from a neurological muscle disorder and a weakened immune system, making her especially concerned for his well-being.
"There is that small part in the back of your mind that you always think of the different possibilities, and this is a parent's worst fear," Sarah said.
John Weir is described as having blonde hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and tan shorts. Steven Weir is described as being 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 300 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, and was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and cargo shorts.
Steven Weir was believed to be driving a red 2005 Hyundai Elantra with California license plate 5SKT544. Authorities believed he may be heading to the Tuolumne or Calaveras County areas.
"We are just praying that God will protect John and that is where we get our strength and that is our prayer," the child's grandmother, Kathleen Van Dyk, previously said.
Steven Weir was considered "armed and dangerous." Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the man and child was encouraged to call 911.
"They are traveling, what we know at this time in and around the area, possibly in the county. We don't know where they're headed to or where they might be going," California Highway Patrol Officer Daniel Bowen previously said.
The Amber Alert has been deactivated, California Highway Patrol said.