Riverdale, Georgia – Police are racing against time as an intense search continues overnight for a missing, nonverbal 6-year-old boy who vanished from an apartment complex over the weekend.
Clayton County police are asking for the public’s immediate help in finding Ramon Jett, known by family as “RJ.” The boy disappeared Sunday between 11:30 a.m. and noon from the Sutter Lake Apartments at 8104 Webb Road in Riverdale.
Ramon stands about 3 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 40 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light green shirt, camouflage shorts, and white socks.
According to his mother, Ashleigh Harris, Ramon had been staying with his older sister after the two went swimming the day before he disappeared.
She said the children woke up from a nap and discovered the apartment door was open. That’s when the family realized he was gone, and the search began.
A nearby body of water called Joy Lake sits a short distance from the apartment complex, adding to the urgency of the search.
Police say the condition makes him especially vulnerable
What makes the case especially dangerous is that Ramon is nonverbal and lives with a mental health condition, according to police. Because of this, he may not be able to call out for help, ask anyone for assistance, or understand danger around him.
His mother says he has wandered off before, though only within a smaller, familiar area. She is asking anyone who spots her son to use his nickname rather than his full name, saying he responds better to people he feels comfortable with.
“He may be a little standoffish, but if you can, please contact the police station immediately. Call him by his nickname. That might make him more welcome. He loves numbers, letters, nursery rhymes, and stuff like that. So he’s drawn to stuff like that,” Harris said.
Officers, K9 units, a drone team, a dive team, detectives, and patrol officers have all been deployed to comb the area. Search teams have continued working through the night without stopping.
What residents are asked to do
Authorities are urging anyone living in or traveling through the Riverdale area, particularly near the 8000 block of Webb Road, to check their property right away. Police say residents should look in yards, on porches, inside outbuildings, through wooded areas, and in any space where a small child might try to take shelter.
Neighbors have already begun joining the search effort. Demeca Evans, who lives in the area, said she has grandchildren around Ramon’s age and could not imagine the fear his family is experiencing.
“I got kids and I got a grandson that age, and I would be devastated to know that he was not in our presence or missing. So I’m praying for the mother and the parents, and I really pray that you’ll find this baby,” Evans said.
Anyone who sees Ramon is asked to call 911 immediately. Anyone with tips or information about his whereabouts can contact the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office at 770-477-4479.
Police have not released information about which direction Ramon may have walked when he left the apartment, and it remains unclear whether he lived at the complex or was only visiting at the time he went missing.
