Missing Boy, 4, Was Last Seen with His Dog. During the Search, His Dad Was Arrested on a Separate Charge

A 4-year-old boy is missing and believed to be in danger after he was last seen on the morning of Christmas Eve near a highway in rural Alabama, authorities said.

As the search unfolded, the child’s father was arrested on an unrelated matter after investigators found items on his property that were initially believed to be explosive devices, according to reports. Officials later confirmed the items were not explosives.

On Wednesday, Dec. 31, at around 11:30 a.m. local time, Johnathan Everett Boley was last seen near the 7000 block of Highway 195 in Jasper, according to an alert from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Authorities said the child is believed to be in danger. He is described as white, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a yellow Mickey Mouse shirt, black pants and Paw Patrol shoes.

Officials were notified of the child’s disappearance around 12:30 p.m. the same day, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said during a Thursday press briefing, according to NBC News. Reports indicated that Johnathan had been with his 6-year-old brother and their dog when he went missing. Authorities searched the children’s home and launched an extensive air and ground search. Officials have not released details about the older child’s whereabouts.

During the search of the property, Smith said investigators discovered devices that appeared to be explosives, forcing authorities to temporarily halt search efforts. The discovery led to the father’s arrest on charges unrelated to the child’s disappearance. The father, a former member of the military, is not accused of involvement in his son’s disappearance, according to NBC News, NBC affiliate WVTM and ABC affiliate WBMA.

In an update later that day, Smith said the eight devices recovered from the property were examined by the FBI and determined not to be explosive, WBMA reported.

An investigation related to the devices remains ongoing, officials said, and it is unclear whether the father remains in custody or if charges are still pending.

Authorities said the two children had been visiting their father during his allotted five days of visitation for the year. The parents are separated, and the children’s mother returned to Alabama from Florida after learning that her son was missing. The father was interviewed by the FBI on Wednesday, according to reports, and investigators have stated he is not considered a suspect in the case.

Search efforts continue with assistance from multiple agencies and dozens of volunteers. Smith said Thursday that there were no signs the child was in the woods and that the family’s dog also remains missing.

“It’s still too early to say one way or the other,” Smith said when asked whether the case could involve criminal activity. He added that despite the significant resources deployed across a wide area, the lack of progress is troubling, saying, “The fact that we haven’t found the child is concerning.”

Authorities said another search operation is scheduled to resume on the morning of Friday, Jan. 2.