JOSHUA JOHNSON - 18 yo - Orlando FL

Police looking for possibly kidnapped teen

Last Updated: Friday, August 17, 2012 @ 07:24AM

ORLANDO -- A teenager is kidnapped and allegedly stuffed into a minivan and his family hasn't seen him since.


Orlando police believe 18-year-old Joshua Johnson may have been kidnapped after a fight Wednesday.

Police need your help finding 18-year-old Joshua Johnson.

Investigators said Johnson’s grandmother called police Thursday after Johnson never came home. The day before, police say Johnson was involved in a fight near Wilts Circle and Mable Butler Street and witnesses said they saw a possibly tan minivan pull up, force Johnson inside and drive away.

Johnson is 5'2'' and 125 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black tank top, brown cargo shorts and carrying a brown backpack.

Witnesses said there was some kind of a fight before the 18-year-old was kidnapped. We don't know if that's a sign he knows who did this or a past history with them. However, police said they are looking for him and asking anyone with any information to call Crimeline.

If you have any information, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2012/8/17/police_looking_for_p.html

Burned body found in Pine Hills home could be missing teen

By Bianca Prieto and Arelis Hernandez, Orlando Sentinel
10:05 a.m. EST, August 17, 2012

A badly burned body found inside an abandoned Pine Hills home late Thursday could be that of a missing 18-year-old man who was beaten and thrown into a van a day earlier.

An autopsy is being conducted this morning on the remains at the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office. Forensic investigators will use dental records to identify the remains

Although the body found inside the home in the 6700 block of Meritmoor Circle in Pine Hills has not been identified, family members of Joshua Johnson believe it's him.

Johnson's grandmother said Orlando detectives went to her home overnight and asked for her grandson's medical and dental information.

Orlando Police and Orange County Sheriff's Office have not commented on the possible identification of the body. The location fro which Johnson was abducted, and the home where the body was found, are about eight miles apart.

Johnson went missing Wednesday after he was involved in a fight on Wilts Circle and Mable Butler Street, about a block from his grandmother's home. When he didn't come home, Johnson's grandmother reported him missing Thursday.

Witnesses told police they saw Johnson fighting with two men. A tan minivan pulled up along side Johnson, forced him inside and sped away. Witnesses said they didn't call police because they thought it was a joke, reports show.

Hours after Orlando police asked for the public's help to find the missing man, a homeowner who was checking on a vacant property in Pine Hills found the charred body.

A small fire that was set inside the home had already put itself out by the time fire rescue arrived. Few details were released about that crime.

Detectives said the teen was last seen wearing a black tank top, brown cargo shorts and a brown backpack.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

Check back for information on this developing story.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-17/news/os-missing-man-killed-pine-hills-20120817_1_charred-body-vacant-home-pine-hills

Body ID'd as missing Orlando teenager

Posted: Aug 22, 2012 2:26 PM CDT
updated: Aug 22, 2012 2:47 PM CDT

Homicide investigators with the Orlando Police Department have positively identified a body found last week as that of a missing teenager. Joshua Johnson, 18, disappeared on August 15. He was reported missing a day later by his grandmother when he didn't return home.

Two people came forward and told detectives that they had witnessed a fight taking place among three men in the area of Wilts Circle and Mable Butler Street. The witnesses said they did not immediately contact police, because the fight appeared to be playful in nature and not serious.

The witnesses said they saw a minivan, possibly tan in color, pull up alongside Johnson and force him inside, before leaving the area. The only information about the suspects provided by the witnesses is that they were both black men.

Johnson's severely burned body was later found inside a vacant home in the Pine Hills area. Police believe was kidnapped and beaten to death. Anyone with information concerning Johnson's murder is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Tips can remain anonymous.

Read more: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/19343756/body-idd-as-missing-orlando-teenager#.UDU6XxKtOgw.twitter#ixzz24JCbO8wB