JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After two days of their faces weighing heavily on the hearts of the Jacksonville community, two missing children were found safe Tuesday afternoon.
Braxton Williams, 6, and his 5-year-old sister, Bri’ya, disappeared Sunday from the front yard of their mobile home on the city’s Westside. Police said the family last saw the children around 11:30 a.m. and searched for them for a while before calling police about 1:30 p.m. to report them missing.
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More than 48 hours later, search and rescue crews found the pair in the woods.
Roxanne Lloyd, the children’s paternal grandmother, said her son was getting ready for a barbecue Sunday morning. She said he went inside briefly to get food and when he came back out, the children were gone.
The children’s aunt, Nattalie Lloyd, told News4Jax that big barbecues are common for the family.
Nattalie Lloyd said Braxton and Bri’ya are the middle of seven children. She said the children’s parents -- her brother, Bryan, and his girlfriend, Bianca -- have been together for more than 10 years. The grandmother said the family has lived at the mobile home for about two or three years.
“Their relationship is loving. They get along well, take care of their kids. They would do anything for their kids,” Nattalie Lloyd said. “She is a stay-at-home mom. She is always around the kids.”
Nattalie Lloyd said the couple was devastated and was praying for the safe return of the children.
Their prayers were answered Tuesday afternoon when news broke that the children had been found “in good condition.”
Nattalie Lloyd said the family is grateful for everyone who searched and passed out flyers.