TAVARES, Fla. – An investigation into the disappearance of a 5-year-old Tavares has been upgraded to an Amber Alert.

Tavares police said Jace Saunders was last seen on the city’s south side in the Summerall Park area around 1:19 p.m. According to the news release, police responded to a home to take into custody the Saunderses, who were not present at the residence at the time but were on a golf cart ride with a family friend, Mitchell Morris.

Instead of returning the boy, police said Morris went to a park and handed the boy to his grandmother, Kelly Dasilva, in a black Honda Accord or passenger car.

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Morris was arrested for child custody interference. Police also said late Sunday night that the boy’s parents, Taylor Judy and Brandon Saunders, were arrested on custodial interference charges for failing to cooperate with law enforcement in the search for their son.

Tavares police said Dasilva “currently has an active Lake County warrant for his arrest for kidnapping and interfering with child custody.”

Saunders is described as semi-verbal, about 90cm tall and wearing dark blue long pajamas with a graphic pattern on the front.

The photo below shows the last time Saunders was seen, according to the press release.

The Tavares Police Department urges the community to call law enforcement immediately if they see Dasilva and/or Saunders and to contact the Tavares Police Department immediately and reference case number T24120625.

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