Aveion Malik Lewis -- Found Deceased 1/27/10

Amber Alert issued
Posted: Jan 15, 2010 7:50 AM EST




RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Virginia State Police has issued an Amber Alert for 2-year old Aveion Malik Lewis of Roanoke. Aveion was abducted from his home on King Charles Street by three men around 5pm on Thursday. He was last seen wearing yellow Sponge Bob Squarepants footie pajamas.

Aveion's stepfather was knocked unconscious before the child was taken. The abductors may be traveling in a white, 90's Chevy Blazer.
Suspects Description from Virgina State Police
ABDUCTOR 1:
-first name: Tony
-black male, 6 feet 02 inches, wearing black hoodie shirt, black Puffy fur collar jacket, black du rag
-dark complexion black male, stocky build, full beard, and in his late twenties
-had been hanging around the victim's residence even after stepfather told the individual to get away from their residence.
-unknown if armed

ABDUCTOR 2:
-black male, 5 feet 11 inches, dreadlocks hair, wearing red baseball cap
-light complexion black male, muscular upper body, in his late 20s
-was seen hanging around the victim's home after being told to leave

ABDUCTOR 3:
-black male, 5 feet 11 inches, wearing brown with white writing hat -light complexion black male with no facial hair
-23 or 24 years old and was seen hanging around the victim's home even after stepfather asked the three males to go away from the back of their residence.
-unknown if armed



Call 1-800-822-4453 if you have any information.


http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=11827738

At least they know who they are looking for and have the vehicle description. I hope they don't harm this child. I wonder why they were so visibly hanging around the back of the residence?

Suspects were seen hanging around outside the victim's home even after stepfather asked the three males to go away from the back of their residence. Unknown if armed. A note was left requesting money. May be traveling in a 90's Blazer Chevy , White. unknown. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: Roanoke Police Department at 1-540-853-2211 or Virginia State Police at 1-800-822-4453

http://www.amberalert.com/alerts/2a25b5e49440a919af0ea0e10cd5088f/

I hope they find Aveion before these thugs harm him.

Police seek 3 men in case of missing Roanoke boy
Aveion Lewis' stepfather said the men left a ransom note addressed to an acquaintance of his.
By Amanda Codispoti | The Roanoke Times

A path behind Jamestown Place goes over a stream and into the back parking lot of a Food Lion, where the suspects are said to have parked when they abducted Aveion Lewis, 2.

Roanoke police officers canvass the neighborhood of Jamestown Place on Friday, collecting information on the abduction of Aveion Lewis, 2.


A Roanoke police officer collects forensic evidence from the home of Aveion Lewis, who was reportedly abducted in the Jamestown Place neighborhood in Southeast Roanoke.
The kidnappers knocked the stepfather unconscious, bound and gagged a girl, ransacked the house and left a ransom note before taking the 2-year-old boy.

Thursday's reported violent abduction of Southeast Roanoke toddler Aveion M. Lewis received national media attention on Friday as police and FBI agents continued searching for him.

He was home with his stepfather, Brandon Lockett, and three siblings when a knock came from the back door of their duplex in Jamestown Place, Lockett said Friday.

As soon as Lockett opened the door, he was knocked unconscious, he said.

"All I felt was just a bam," he said. He said he didn't know what he was hit with.

Lockett, who had a cut on his lip and evident swelling on his face Friday morning, said he woke up in the living room just as his wife, Morgan Lockett, returned home.

They found their 4-year-old girl gagged and bound in a bedroom. Two other children, a 2-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy, were not harmed.

Police were called about 6:40 p.m. and searched the neighborhood with K-9s. Virginia State Police brought in a helicopter that has an infrared camera to detect body heat.

On Friday, detectives knocked on doors in the area and showed residents pictures of the boy. Officers throughout the city handed out fliers. The FBI showed a photo of Aveion on electronic billboards across the state, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent information on the case to police departments within 100 miles of Roanoke.

Police had also set up a command center at its downtown headquarters, which will be open 24 hours to take tips and review information.

Police had not ruled out any possibility in the case as of Friday evening, said Aisha Johnson, the department's spokeswoman.

Brandon Lockett was able to give police a description of each suspect, because he said he'd seen them hanging around the duplex earlier in the day.

At one point, he asked them to leave, and one of the men said his name was Tony, and that he knew a friend of Lockett's.

Lockett said he believes the abductors were using his family to get to someone he knows because the ransom note, which asked for $10,000, was addressed to that person. Lockett declined to disclose the name on the note.

He said he is angry that the men involved his family in their dispute.

"We live a simple life," he said. "We don't bother nobody."

The Locketts' anger mixed with anguish as the couple waited at home Friday for news of Aveion.

"I just want my baby back," Morgan Lockett said.

She is particularly worried about her son's health because he was born premature and has digestive problems. As a result, he doesn't have a lot of fat on his body, and has to be kept warm or his body temperature drops quickly, the family said.

But the Locketts remain hopeful.

Aveion will be 3 on Jan. 26, and the family is still planning to celebrate his birthday at Chuck E. Cheese.

"He's going to come home," Brandon Lockett said.

Until he's found, the family said prayer is all that can help them.

"God's going to keep him safe," Lockett said.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/233222

This baby has serious medical issues as a result of being born premature.

I hope Aveion is ok. I pray for his safe return.

I find it odd that the guy can identify three thugs but he said that when he opened the door, it was BAM. Did he SEE who hit him?

http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/after_150_tips_still_no_sign_of_missing_roanoke_toddler_aveion_lewis/75412/

By Meagan Farley
WSLS 7pm Anchor

For the family of Aveion Lewis, the weekend brought minimal answers.

“The only thing we know for a fact right now is that my nephew is missing,“ said Chris Ward, Aveion’s Uncle.

Ward says he hasn’t heard a thing from the alleged kidnappers, who he says asked for $10,000 in a ransom note. “There hasn’t been any contact from anybody.“

As days pass, Ward says the situation is getting more dire for Aveion. “He needs to eat. He has health issues.“

The Roanoke Police Department says it is following up on more than 150 tips or leads it received throughout Virginia and outside of the state. Aveion’s family hopes the neighborhood opens up as much as possible.

“It is OK to give up what you know. They’re not worried about whose doing what in the neighborhood. They are worried about that little boy.“

His 3rd birthday is next Tuesday, the 26th. It's odd that a ransom note was left but still no contact from them for instructions. I hope he's brought home soon, safe and sound.

According to LE, the step father has admitted that the boy is dead. This is breaking news on HLN's JVM. How sad. Still no word on finding his body.

How sad...Caylee has another cherub to keep her company

Oh god, I had a feeling he had told a tall tale.....but I was trying to believe him, I didn't want to say it out loud

This is horrible. I don't understand why he admitted Aveion was dead, but won't tell police where his body is.

Here is a news report from ABC 13.

I don't understand why a person would kill a child. If it was an accident, then why would they throw their tiny bodies out like trash, and just let them rot away to nothing? I'm sorry I'm so...vulgar (not sure the right word to use here). It's almost MORE horrifying to allow the poor thing to just rot away, than the killing itself.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/233714

Brandon Lockett, who has a history of violence, has been charged in the child's disappearance.

By Amanda Codispoti

UPDATED JAN. 21: Roanoke police have temporarily postponed the search for Aveion Lewis due to the winter weather. If you have any information about the case, call 853-2212.

As the search for Aveion Lewis' body continued Wednesday, Roanoke police charged his stepfather in the toddler's disappearance.

Brandon Lockett, 24, is charged with felony child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice.

Other charges may be considered by the grand jury in February, Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell said.

Lockett's criminal record tracks back to Georgia, where court records show that, among other convictions, he was found guilty in 2006 of striking the mother of his child with a candleholder.

The search for Aveion began last Thursday, when Lockett told police that three men knocked him unconscious and abducted his 2-year-old stepson from their Jamestown Place duplex in Southeast Roanoke.

Police questioned the validity of that information, and on Tuesday, Lockett told authorities that the child was dead even before he was reported missing.

Police have not released any information on how the boy may have died, and his body had not been found as of Wednesday night.

Neither Caldwell nor Roanoke police Capt. Curtis Davis would explain why Lockett has been charged with child neglect, or whether that led to the toddler's death, because of the ongoing investigation.

"The charges are appropriate for what we have developed at this time," Davis said.

Lockett has been cooperating in some aspects of the investigation but not others, Davis said.

Lockett has a criminal record in Georgia, where he is still on probation for possession of cocaine, according to court documents.

He also has a history of violence.

Court records from Bibb County, Ga., show that in 2006 Lockett was accused of striking Janet Balkcom, the mother of his infant, with a candleholder.

He pleaded guilty to the family violence simple battery charge and was sentenced to one year of probation, according to court records. He was also required to attend a family violence intervention program and pay a fine.

About a month later, Lockett forced his way into Balkcom's home and fought with a man, according to court records. Balkcom called police from a neighbor's house.

Officers noticed a large amount of blood on the floor, and that a table lamp was broken. The victim fled from the house and wasn't seen again.

Lockett pleaded guilty to family violence criminal trespassing in that case.

He served 60 days in jail and then returned to probation.

In two separate instances in Roanoke last year, Lockett was pulled over for speeding and for driving on a learner's permit without a licensed driver. Police also cited him both times for not having a child restraint in the car, according to court records.

Lockett is being held at the Roanoke City Jail without bond.

Meanwhile, the search for Aveion's body continued Wednesday with more than 60 volunteers.

Search teams, including those on horses and with cadaver dogs, were sent out to the banks of the Roanoke River, wooded areas near the boy's Jamestown Place duplex and to an industrial area.

Volunteer Jeanne Kauffmann and her black Labrador retriever, Lakota, searched the muddy and sometimes steep banks of the river with a Roanoke police detective and a police cadet.

They looked under tarps, and through trash that littered the area. Sometimes Kauffmann directed Lakota to sniff out spots that looked suspicious, or go through tractor trailers parked in an industrial area.

At one point, she pointed Lakota to a dirty pillow, but the dog didn't signal that anything was there.

Detective Rich Cooper, who was searching with Kauffmann, said the ongoing investigation has been frustrating for police.

"We just want to find him," he said.

Freezing rain is expected today, which could hamper search efforts.

Davis said police would continue following up on leads even in inclement weather.

"Until we find him, we're going to continue working this case as much as we possibly can," Davis said.

He believes that there are people who have information, or who could get information, that could lead police to Aveion's body. He urged them to call police at 853-2212.

http://roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/234025

James Lewis took his son, Aveion, and daughter, Gabrielle, to family cookouts, and spent time with them at home. But that changed, Lewis said, when the children's mother began dating Brandon Lockett.

"It just seemed like she was shutting me out of my kids' lives," Lewis said Friday, the first time he's spoken publicly since Aveion's death.

Lewis, 23, also talked about his custody battles with Morgan Lockett and the Department of Social Services.

Social Services issued a statement Friday about Aveion's case. Social workers put him in foster care for 16 months after he was found to be severely underweight. He was returned to his home after the Locketts completed classes and other requirements, the news release said.

Police are still searching for the 2-year-old's body. The Locketts reported to police Jan. 14 that Aveion was abducted, but Brandon Lockett later told police that the toddler had died.

Police haven't said how Aveion might have died, but a search warrant said they are investigating the toddler's death as a homicide.

Brandon Lockett has been charged with felony child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice.

Morgan Lockett has not been charged.

Aveion's case came to Social Services in May 2008, when the boy was 14 months old. The department got a report that Morgan Lockett was neglecting Aveion, and that he was severely underweight.

A search warrant filed this week in Roanoke City Circuit Court said Aveion weighed less than 9 pounds at that time.

Aveion was born with a medical problem that required surgery to remove part of his intestines, according to the warrant. As a result, he had a strict feeding schedule and needed medication.

Two days after Social Services was notified, Aveion was taken into protective custody so he could get the medical treatment he needed, the news release said.

Aveion remained in foster care until March. During that time, Social Services developed a plan for Aveion's mother and stepfather that was approved, and periodically reviewed, by the Roanoke Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The plan included having Brandon Lockett attend an 18-week program on domestic violence alternatives, which he completed, the news release said.

He and Morgan Lockett also completed a parenting education class.

While in foster care, Aveion doubled in weight, according to the search warrant.

During that time, Lewis said he visited his son and tried to get custody of him.

"I was always worried about him," Lewis said.

In December 2008, Social Services allowed the Locketts to have extended visitations with Aveion at their home.

A clinical in-home therapist spent 20 to 30 hours per month observing the Locketts parenting, reinforcing and teaching good parenting practices, and watching Aveion's adjustment, the news release said.

In March, Aveion was returned home, but Social Services retained legal custody. The in-home therapy continued, and Aveion's social worker made scheduled and unscheduled visits to see that Aveion's medical needs were met.

In September, a judge awarded Morgan Lockett legal custody of Aveion on the recommendation of Social Services, the news release said.

Jane Conlin, director of Social Services in Roanoke, said Friday that the responsibility for what happened to Aveion does not rest with her department.

"The person who is responsible for this is not the social worker," she said. "I think we need to keep in mind that social workers aren't mind readers. We work with the best knowledge and information we have and within the law. Nobody can, with 100 percent accuracy, predict the behavior of another person."

Lewis, however, said he never trusted Brandon Lockett.

"The way Brandon was, it just seemed like he wanted to get to me," Lewis said.

The two would have confrontations during court hearings, and Lewis said that his children's mother's attitude toward him changed after she began dating Lockett.

That's when Lewis said he lost contact with his children.

He recalled several times that he tried to see them, such as on Aveion's first birthday, when he said Morgan Lockett wouldn't answer the door.

Lewis' mother, Briggitte Mason, also said she had to go to court to get visitation rights and, even then, found herself knocking on a door that wouldn't open.

"How many times can you get your heart broke?" Mason said.

Now Lewis, who works at Walmart and at the Roanoke Civic Center, wants custody of his daughter, who is about to turn 4.

She is currently staying with Morgan Lockett's mother, who is also looking after Brandon Lockett's two children, said Cara Ward, Morgan Lockett's sister.

Ward has been busy collecting donated items for the children because no one wants to go back to the Southeast Roanoke home where Aveion was last seen.

The Kirk Family YMCA, Total Action Against Poverty, Babies and Children Inc. and other businesses have donated toys, clothing and other items, Ward said.

She said her family has been touched by the community's support, and she praised Roanoke police for their dedication.

The support, and the family's faith, are keeping them going.

"We believe Aveion is in heaven," she said.