JADA JUSTICE -3 yo - Gary IN

As a family from Hobart, Ind., awaits news of their missing 2-year-old
daughter, the FBI is joining in the search to find her and bring her
home.

Meanwhile, police have suspicions about the version of events stated by
a cousin who was babysitting Jada Justice, 2, when the girl
disappeared.

Jada was staying with a cousin when she disappeared in Gary, Ind., just after 9:30 p.m. Monday night.

The baby sitter, Angelica Castillo, 18, of 3925 Missouri St. in Hobart,
Ind., is in custody facing charges of neglect of a dependent. She is a
cousin to the missing girl's mother, Melissa Swiontek, of Portage.

Castillo says she left the child in her car seat with the doors
unlocked last night at the Glen Park Gas Station, at 1401 E. Ridge Rd.
in Gary, while she ran in to buy some milk and cigarettes. She says
when she came out, the car was still there, but the baby was gone.

But other customers told police they saw no one around Castillo's 1991
maroon Cadillac Fleetwood while it was parked in the lot.

And police dogs brought into the search found no scent in the immediate area.

Nonetheless, Gary police devoted the next six hours looking for the
girl in a wooded area south of the gas station. Gary police Cmdr. Jon
Cooros and Sgt. Greg Martin flew the city's helicopter through the top
of trees as Gary Fire Department lights illuminated the scene, Cmdr.
Anthony Titus said.

"We are leery of the baby sitter's accounting of the facts, but right now that's all we have to work with," Titus said.

Gary police contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, but learned the case involving Jada did not meet the criteria
for an AMBER Alert because investigators do not have detailed
information on a suspect.

About 3:30 a.m., police called off the search and focused on Castillo.
Hobart police obtained a search warrant for her home, where they found
bloody crib sheets.

Hobart investigators determined the blood came from a dog in heat, and
shifted the investigation back to Gary. Police did find evidence of
drug use at the house and members of the FBI-led Gang Response
Investigative Team were at the home for a time Wednesday afternoon.

Hobart police Chief Rod Gonzalez couldn't say how the blood was tested
to convince detectives it wasn't human. "I don't know anything about
that," he said. "I'm fairly certain the crime happened in Gary," he
added.

All day Wednesday, police recruits attending the Northwest Indiana Law
Enforcement Academy traipsed through muddy woods, fighting swarms off
mosquitoes and turning over logs and brush in their search of the area
between the gas station and Castillo's home.

Gary police also questioned Castillo's boyfriend, who complained he had suffered some serious burns recently.

Police would not comment on the 23-year-old man's condition. He was released Wednesday.

Neighbors near the gas station where Jada allegedly disappeared say they are afraid, and they are taking extra precautions.

"I've got a 4-year-old daughter. I'd never leave her in a vehicle when
I go anywhere. She's with me all the time. There's no doubt about
that," a man said. "It's very alarming."

Jada is described as an African-American female, 2 feet 2 inches tall
and 35 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a light brown
complexion. At the time she vanished, she was wearing orange skirt, a
white tank top with orange and green stripes, white sandals and purple
underwear, the FBI said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Indianapolis Office
at (317) 639-3301. The U.S. Marshals office has also joined in the
search.

GARY, INDIANA - It's been almost 24 hours since a two-year-old girl
from Portage, Indiana disappeared. She was in the back seat of a car
one minute at a gas station, gone the next.

Jada Justice turns three in August. She's an African-American of
average height and weight for her age. The family is desperate to find
her. She disappeared from a Gary, Indiana gas station late last night.
To date, the story is that Jada's sitter left the child in the car. She
said she went in the gas station to purchase a gallon of milk at 9:30
p.m. and when she came back out, Jada was gone.

Family friends are passing out flyers and the U.S. marshals are going
door-to-door and executed a search warrant at the home of the
babysitter just blocks from where Jada disappeared.

"We are just covering all bases," said Commander Anthony Titus of the
Gary Police Deparment. "We don't have specific information to say
anything occurred anywhere but we want to cover all tracks at this
time."

The girl's father wants her returned home safely, no questions asked.

"I hope she ain't kidnapped and I hope you know, they hiding her
somewhere or somebody is holding her," Clarence Justice, Jada's father.
You know, that is not going to harm her or nothing like that."

While there are no signs of foul play at Ridge Road and Louisiana
Street, nothing has been ruled out. The detectives want the public to
look for the 35 pound girl wearing an orange skirt and striped shirt
who answers to Jada or JJ.

"She's sweet. She has a beautiful smile, happy, you know, she loves her life. "

The babysitter is also a cousin to Jada's mother. She was the last one
to see Jada last evening. She's in police custody at this hour. The
18-year-old is cooperating fully with authorities but could be charged
with child neglect.

Endangered Missing

JADA JUSTICE

DOB: Aug 3, 2006 Missing: Jun 16, 2009 Age Now: 2 Sex: Female Race: Black Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 2'2" (66 cm) Weight: 35 lbs (16 kg) Missing From: GARY IN United States

Both photos shown are of Jada. She was last seen on June 16, 2009. Jada may be with an adult companion. She was last seen wearing an orange skirt and a striped shirt.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) Hobart Police Department (Indiana) 1-219-942-1125

The FBI has established a hotline for tips about a missing 2-year-old girl from Gary, Ind.

Anyone with any information about Jada Justice should call 1-800-CALL-FBI, special agent Wendy Osborne said.Jada is described as 2 foot, 2 inches tall, 35 pounds, black hair,
brown eyes and light brown complexion. She was last seen wearing an
orange skirt, white tank top with orange and green stripes, and white
sandals.Jada will be 3 in August.
Jada disappeared at about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when a cousin left the toddler
alone in a car to get milk at the Glen Park Gas Station at 1401 East
Ridge Road in Gary, Ind., police said.
Jada had been staying with her cousin but was to return to her
mother on Saturday, police said. No family member is involved in a
custody dispute with the mother over Jada, and there's no reason to
believe a family member may have taken her, police said.
Police have searched the area, including using police dogs, they said.
"At this time, nothing is being ruled out," Osborne said, adding the
FBI has been speaking with everyone involved in Jada's life.
Osborne said the case does not qualify for an Amber Alert because there is no vehicle or suspect description.

GARY, Ind. —
Investigators and family members say they are suspicious about the
account the cousin of a 2-year-old girl has given of how the child
disappeared from outside a convenience store.
Authorities continued a search Thursday for 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage that
began when 18-year-old Angelica Castillo told police she discovered the
child was missing when she returned to the car Tuesday night after
buying a gallon of milk.
"We are leery of the baby sitter's accounting of the facts, but right now that's all we
have to work with," Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus said.
Castillo was being held by the Gary Police Department as a person of interest,
but Titus said preliminarily it did not appear she had anything to do
with the toddler's disappearance.
Mike Valdez, the girl's uncle, said he could not understand why Castillo
didn't leave Jada with her boyfriend while she ran the errand and why
she drove past several other convenience stores before stopping at the
store in Gary. He also doesn't understand why police dogs were unable
to pick up Jada's scent at the scene.
"Obviously if the baby was there fresh in the car seat, the dog would have eventually picked up her scent as well," he said.Customers told police
officers they saw no one around Castillo's 1991 Cadillac Fleetwood
while it was parked in the convenience store's parking lot.
Police in the neighboring city of Hobart obtained a search warrant for
Castillo's home Wednesday, where they found bloody crib sheets. Hobart
investigators determined the blood came from a dog in heat, and shifted
the investigation back to Gary.
The FBI on Thursday set up a hotline — 1-800-CALL-FBI — for tips concerning the missing girl.
Authorities said Wednesday night the focus of the search will be in three areas —
the Gary neighborhood where Jada was reported missing, as well as
neighborhoods in both Hobart and Porter County. Gary police spokeswoman
Cpl. Gabrielle King did not immediately return telephone messages left
by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Valdez said his niece was staying with Castillo because Jada's mother had
planned to go out of town with a boyfriend and was visiting friends.
Valdez urged Castillo to tell the truth about what happened.
"If there's anything you're not telling us, let us know," he said.

GARY, Ind., June 18 (UPI) -- Police say they are suspicious about a
babysitter's account of the disappearance Tuesday of a child in her
care in Gary, Ind.
Jada Justice, nearly 3, is missing, and her caregiver, Angelica
Castillo, 18, of Hobart, Ind., has been charged with neglect of a
dependent, the Gary Post-Tribune reported.
Castillo, a cousin of Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek of Portage,
told police the child disappeared from her car at Glen Park Gas in
Gary. She said she left the baby
in the unlocked car while she went in to buy milk.
Customers of the gas station told police they didn't see anyone near
the car, a 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood. Police dogs found no scent
around thecar.
A search by police and recruits at a nearby police academy went on for hours.
Police Cmdr. Anthony Titus said, "We are leery of the babysitter's accounting of the facts."

Authorities are offering a $6,000 reward for information to help find a missing toddler in Hobart, Ind.

Investigators say they have very few clues in the disappearance of Jada Justice, 2, who was last seen in a car at a Gary gas station on Monday.

Jada vanished while in the care of Angelica Castillo, 18, of Hobart, a
cousin to the missing girl's mother. Castillo is now charged with
neglect.

Castillo says she left the child in her car seat with the doors
unlocked at the Glen Park Gas Station, at 1401 E. Ridge Rd. in Gary,
while she ran in to buy some milk and cigarettes. She says when she
came out, the car was still there, but Jada was gone.

But police doubt Castillo's story. Other customers told police they saw
no one around Castillo's 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood while it was
parked in the lot.

And police dogs brought into the search found no scent in the immediate area.

Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek, of Portage, Ind., refused to give up
hope that her daughter would be found alive and well. "The more people
that come to look, the more who are involved, is encouragement to me,"
she said.

Shortly after their search began, the family learned someone had found
suspicious items in the backyard of Castillo's home at 3925 Missouri
St. in Hobart.

Federal agents joined Hobart police, who used shovels in their search.

Investigators dug a small area in the easement behind Castillo's home
but determined most of the dirt had not been disturbed recently and
halted the search there after about an hour. They took some evidence
but declined to provide details.

Jada's father, Clarence Justice, his wife and other members of his
family spent Wednesday at the gas station on Ridge Road passing out
fliers and talking to customers.

Elizabeth Justice, Jada's stepmother, said the girl spent "every other weekend" at the couple's Hammond home.

"She loves McDonald's. We usually take her to the playground inside.
She loves cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets," Justice said. "And she's
tough. She sticks up for her little brother."

Castillo was expected to be released from jail Thursday night after
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter rejected charging information
presented by Gary police. Police arrested Castillo after she related
her story of the toddler's disappearance and hoped to obtain a felony
charge of neglect of a dependent.

Her 23-year-old boyfriend had been questioned and released early in the investigation.

On Thursday, as relatives kept a vigil at the gas station, the FBI
Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team also joined the investigation.

Jada is described as an African-American female, 2 feet 2 inches tall
and 35 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a light brown
complexion. At the time she vanished, she was wearing orange skirt, a
white tank top with orange and green stripes, white sandals and purple
underwear, the FBI said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1 (800) 225-5324, or Gary
police Cmdr. Anthony Titus at (219) 881-1237, (219) 881-1229 or (219)
881-1210.

Police
and FBI agents in Indiana will meet with the Lake County
prosecutors Monday to review the case of a missing 2-year-old
Portage girl.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office would sit down with
police representatives from Gary, Hobart and Portage, as well as the
FBI, to decide how to proceed in the case of Jada Justice, who went
missing Tuesday outside a Gary convenience store.
"We want to talk about the case in its entirety," Carter said. "We
would like to find the child. Once we know the status of the child,
that will help us decide how to proceed with the case."
Jada's 18-year-old cousin and babysitter, Angelica Castillo, told
police she left the girl in the car while running into a Gary
convenience store to grab a gallon of milk Tuesday night. When she
returned to the car, Castillo said, Jada was gone.
Other family members and police officials have expressed skepticism with Castillo's account.
Castillo was questioned by Gary police but was released Friday afternoon.
Police presented Carter's office with a request for a charge of
neglect of a child this week against somebody connected with the
disappearance, but the prosecutor declined to approve the charge.
"We weren't interested in that," Carter said. He declined to say who the requested charge was against.
Saturday morning, detectives in Hobart were canvassing the neighborhood around Castillo's home, police said.

HOBART | The mom of a missing 2-year-old Portage girl choked back tears
Friday as she pleaded for the public's help in bringing her daughter
home.
I just know someone knows something. ... She brightens up
my world. I need her home," Melissa Swiontek said of her daughter, Jada
Justice.
Swiontek and Clarence Justice, Jada's father, spoke
briefly at a news conference at the Hobart Police Department Training
Center at Westfield Southlake mall.
Deputy Police Chief Jeff White, who led the news conference, declined to answer any questions
after reading from a brief statement seeking help from the public in
the case.
White said his department, Gary police and the FBI are
working together to investigate the disappearance of Jada Justice from
the Glen Park Gas station at the intersection of Louisiana Street and
Ridge Road in Gary on Tuesday night.

Engelica Castillo, Jada's 18-year-old cousin, had been baby-sitting the toddler when she disappeared.
Castillo, who lives in the 3900 block of Missouri Street in Hobart, told police
she took Jada with her to the Gary gas station to buy milk. She said
she left Jada in the car and when she came out Jada was missing.
"We believe there are individuals who have information important to this
investigation who have not yet come forward because they do not feel
their information was important; they thought someone else may have
reported it or they were not sure it was relevant," White said.
He asked people to call (800) CALL-FBI if they have seen Jada Justice
since Sunday or if they have seen Castillo or her boyfriend, Tim
Tkachik, with or without the toddler Sunday through Tuesday.

Castillo drives a 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood, and Tkachik generally drives a 1999 red Chevrolet Tahoe.
"All sightings are extremely important to this investigation," White said in his statement.
Castillo had been held by the Gary Police Department as a person of interest but
was released Thursday and not charged, Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus
said.
Titus, who joined White at the news conference, said police remain skeptical about details surrounding Jada's disappearance.
"At this point, it's still where it was Tuesday night," Titus said.
Police are not currently pursuing charges against Castillo, Titus said, but he did not rule out the possibility.
He said police have not ruled out any leads or potential suspects or interested parties.
"Everybody's a suspect until we can say they're not," Titus said.
He said blood found at Castillo's home in Hobart is still included as possible evidence to investigate.
"I don't think anything has been nipped in the bud," Titus said.
Jada's disappearance also has drawn the national attention of "America's Most Wanted" TV show, White said, earlier on Friday.
A photo and information about Jada Justice is already on the show's Web
site, and her case is being considered for a slot on an upcoming show,
White said.
He said FBI agents were canvassing areas Friday morning seeking information on the disappearance.
That canvassing included showing residents photos of Jada, Castillo and Tkachik, he said.

Armed with water bottles and fliers, family members and supporters
spent the hot Saturday spreading the word about missing Portage girl
Jada Justice.
Nearly 3-year-old Jada has been missing since
Tuesday night, when her babysitter and cousin Engelica Castillo said
she was taken from a Gary gas station.
"Everybody's just racking their brains," Stephanie Floyd, former stepsister of Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek, said Saturday.
Castillo told police she drove Tuesday night to the Glen Park gas station at
Ridge Road and Louisiana Street to buy milk and left Jada in the car.
When she returned minutes later, the toddler was gone, she told police.
Hobart police officers continued searching the wooded areas near Castillo's
home in the 3900 block of Missouri Street Saturday, Hobart Deputy Chief
Jeff White said.
White said there no new leads in the case, but that his department continued to work with Gary police and the FBI in the search.
White said his department and the other agencies are expected to meet with
Lake County prosecutor Bernard Carter's office Monday to discuss the
case.
Police have expressed doubt about Castillo's story, and
Gary police initially arrested her as a person of interest in the case.
She was released Thursday without being charged.

GARY -- Members of two area churches gathered at the Glen Park gas
station where 2-year-old Jada Justice was reported missing to pray for
the toddler's safe return.

"We're here to show our support," said Crown Point resident Lenore Barrea, a member of Calvary Tabernacle Church in Griffith.

Calvary, the church Jada's father, Clarence Justice, attends, and
members of Christian Revival Center in East Chicago held a candlelight
prayer vigil outside the gas station.

Melissa Swiontek has made daily trips to the station at 1401 E. Ridge Road since her daughter disappeared

"We're waiting for her to come back. She was taken from here and
this is where we hope she will be returned," Swiontek, 27, of Portage,
said after the prayer service ended.

Eugelica Castillo of Hobart told police Jada was taken from her car when she stopped at the gas station to buy milk.

Castillo told police she last saw Jada in a car seat in her unlocked car.

Police have conducted several searches of the area between the gas station and Castillo's home at 3925 Missouri St. in Hobart.

"We're positive there are people out there with information about this case," Hobart Deputy Police Chief Jeffery White said.

"Jada's family deserves to have Jada back. And we hope that
someone's conscious will make them call us so we can make that happen,"
White said.

Hobart police are investigating the disappearance in conjunction with the FBI and the Gary Police Department.

On Saturday, White said several rumors were circulating that Jada had been found.

A relative, he said, came to the Lake County Coroner's Office in
tears after hearing that the child's body had been found. Around the
same time, shoppers at a Gary flea market cheered when they heard the
toddler had been spotted in the crowd, White said. The elation was
short-lived.

"There's no truth to those rumors and we are not letting up on this case," White said.

Anyone with information about Jada's disappearance is asked to call the FBI hotline at (800) 225-5324.

Police and FBI agents in Indiana plan to meet with the Lake County prosecutors on Monday to review the case of a missing 2-year-old Portage girl.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office would sit down with police representatives from Gary,
Hobart and Portage, as well as the FBI, to decide how to proceed in the
case of Jada Justice, who disappeared Tuesday outside a Gary
convenience store.

"We want to talk about the case in its
entirety," Carter said. "We would like to find the child. Once we know
the status of the child, that will help us decide how to proceed with
the case."

Jada's 18-year-old cousin and baby-sitter, Angelica
Castillo, told police she left the girl in the car while running into a
Gary convenience store to grab a gallon of milk Tuesday night. When she
returned to the car, Jada was gone, Castillo said.

Police presented Carter's office with a request for a charge of neglect of a
child this week against somebody connected with the disappearance, but
the prosecutor declined to approve the charge.

CROWN POINT-- The search for 2-year-old Jada Justice continued
Monday, but officials say they have no leads on the whereabouts of the
Portage girl reported missing seven days ago.

Staff from the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI and police from
Hobart and Gary met at Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter's office
Monday morning.

FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said there are no new leads in the
case. Police began an intensive, eight-hour search June 16 after the
girl's babysitter reported Jada had disappeared from a car parked at a
gas station in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.

Gary police have said they have doubts about the story told by the
baby sitter, Angelica Castillo, the 18-year-old cousin of Justice's
mother, Melissa Swiontek.

Castillo told police she left Jada in a car seat in her unlocked
Cadillac Fleetwood about 9:40 p.m., while she went into the gas station
to buy milk. When she returned, she said the girl was gone.

Police dogs did not pick up Jada's scent near the car

Police found bloody sheets in Castillo's home in Hobart, but
concluded the blood came from a dog in heat. Castillo was held at the
Lake County Jail for child neglect, but was released when prosecutors

Anyone with information about Jada Justice should call the FBI at
(800) 225-5324, Cmdr. Anthony Titus at 881-1237, Detective Chris
Rodriguez at 881-1210 or Detective James Nielsen at 881-1229.