AMBER ALERT: 21 Month Old Lonzie Barton Missing Since 7/24/15 in Jacksonville,FL

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-09-23/story/bail-revoked-lonzie-bartons-mother-following-baker-county-drug-arrest

Bail revoked for Lonzie Barton's mother following Baker County drug arrest
 
By Larry Hannan Wed, Sep 23, 2015 @ 5:41 am | updated Wed, Sep 23, 2015 @ 4:04 pm

The mother of 23-month-old Lonzie Barton be in jail for the foreseeable future after a Jacksonville judge revoked her bail on child-neglect charges Wednesday afternoon following her Baker County drug arrest last week.

Laura Lauramore Barton, 25, was originally arrested on charges of child neglect and giving false information in Duval County based on her actions after her son went missing. While out on bail Barton and her estranged husband, Christopher Arin Barton, 41, were both arrested in Baker County on multiple drug charges.

Police recorded them attempting to sell a type of ecstasy at a Motel 6 in Macclenny, their arrest reports said. Prosecutors in Duval County moved to revoke her bail on the original charges, arguing that she violated her bail conditions with the Baker County arrest.

Defense attorneys did not oppose the motion to revoke bail at Wednesday’s hearing. Attorney Kevin Carlisle said his client had clearly violated the conditions of her bail and there was no point in contesting it.

Lauramore Barton was not in court Wednesday after defense attorneys waived her right to appear. Carlisle said she’d been brought back to Duval County last week but was returned to Baker County on Wednesday.

It’s unclear whether Barton will spend most of her time in the Baker or Duval county jails, and where she stays may end up being based on where her next court appearance is scheduled to be.

Lauramore Barton is locked up now on the drug charges with bail set at $350,000. If she makes bail on that case she will remain locked up on the Duval County charges.

The 4th Judicial Circuit includes Duval County while the 8th Judicial Circuit includes Baker County.
 

[texasmom]

http://m.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/action-news-jax-obtains-gag-order-filed-ruben-ebro/nnmbd/

Action News Jax obtains gag order filed by Ruben Ebron's attorney
4:59 p.m. EDT, Wed September 23, 2015

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

Action News Jax obtained the request for a gag order filed by Ruben Ebron's attorney this week.

Ebron is the suspect in the disappearance of 21-month-old Lonzie Barton. He’s accused of child abuse, giving false information to police and trying to escape from jail. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In the order, Ebron's attorney claims the case could be tried in the media.

“This could result in an inability to seat a fair and impartial jury in Duval County,” Ebron’s attorney claims.

Ebron’s attorney states that the vast majority of statements made by police were prejudicial and inflammatory.

Ebron’s attorney cites Chief Tom Hackney’s comments made about Ebron:

“Without some reasonable explanation from Ruben Ebron as to the location of this child, he needs to understand that this murder case is being built against him; that in no uncertain terms, it’s him we are looking for,” said Hackney during an August press conference.

Jury selection for the trial is scheduled for Dec. 7.

 

pdf of the document here:  http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2015/09/23/Gag_order_motion_Ebron.pdf

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-09-28/story/judge-steps-down-william-ebron-case

Judge steps down from William Ebron case

The man authorities have identified as the key to finding missing toddler Lonzie Barton will be getting a new judge in his criminal case.

On Monday Circuit Judge Marianne Aho recused herself as the judge in William Ebron’s case. Ebron, 32, is charged with child neglect, giving false information to police to attempt escape, criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of a concealed handcuff key and introducing/smuggling contraband into a detention facility.

He is scheduled to go on trial Dec. 7, but Aho’s departure from the case makes that date questionable.

Aho announced she was departing after the Florida Times-Union and all the television networks in town made a motion to intervene in the case to oppose defense motions that would prohibit the people involved in the case from commenting publicly on it and would also put limits on how discovery could be released to the public in the case.

WJXT TV-4 is represented by Edward Birk of the law firm Marks Gray P.A. Aho also worked for Marks Gray before she was appointed to the bench in 2014 by Gov. Rick Scott.

Aho said with a law firm now involved in the case that she worked for so recently, she didn’t think she could serve as a judge in the case without raising questions of conflict of interest.

No one asked Aho to recuse herself, and lawyers in the case appeared surprised when Aho announced she was off the case Monday morning.

Family members of Ebron said they thought Aho made the right call in removing herself.

In recusing herself, Aho sent the case to Chief Judge Mark Mahon, who will assign another judge to the case in the next week or so.

Aho said the next hearing in the case would be on Monday Oct. 8. The new judge will handle that hearing.
 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/ruben-ebron-back-in-court-monday/35525368

Ruben Ebron to get new judge; gets jail visit
Monday's hearing was to set date on pending defense motions

 Published On: Sep 28 2015 05:18:11 AM EDT   Updated  53 m

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

The judge hearing the case against the man Jacksonville Sheriff's Office considers the prime suspect in the disappearance of 21-month-old Lonzie Barton has removed herself from the case due to a conflict of interest. After the hearing, Ruben Ebron gets a rare visit in jail.
Monday’s hearing for Ruben Ebron was set to schedule court dates to hear pending motions from Ebron's lawyers for a gag order, a change of venue and a protective order to seal evidence in the case. But instead, Judge Marianne Lloyd Aho recused herself from the case. She cited that she used to work in the same law office as the attorney for WJXT, Ed Birk, who was in court to argue against the motions.

The chief judge Mark Mahon will reassign another judge to the case. A new hearing was set for 9 a.m. Oct. 8.

“I think the judge did the right thing because she is relatively new and she has been guided, so to speak, by the prosecution,” Wanda Ebron, Ruben Ebron's mother, said.   
 
After Monday's hearing, Nathaniel Williams, Ebron's uncle and the only member of his family allowed to visit the defendant in jail, went to see his nephew. Williams described Ebron as being in good spirits and said that he understands why his lawyers are seeking a gag order in the case. He doesn't understand why the media is fighting to release evidence and witness statements before the trial.

Williams said he doesn't believe Ebron harmed Lonzie and says the media is portraying him all wrong -- he's not the violent monster that police have made him out to be.

"Many times he's painted to be something he's not," Williams said.

During their visit, he said he told Ebron to stay focused on the charges that he’s facing.

"I stand behind him 100 percent," Williams said. "He’s my nephew and I love him, I told him to his face, if I felt, at any time, that he had actually done something like that, then the support I gave him would not be there because he would be a different person. So the person that I support right now is the nephew that I know, and I love.”
 

[Sister]

Very few family members think their relative is capable of murder or anything else criminally wrong.

It is sad that they are often mistaken.

 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/baker-county-judge-drops-chris-bartons-bond-to-115k/35557564

Baker County judge reduces Chris Barton's bond to $115,000

More counts of selling synthetic drug Molly result from third undercover deal

 Published On: Sep 29 2015 01:48:49 PM EDT   Updated  2 m

MACCLENNY, Fla. -

A Baker County judge on Tuesday reduced Christopher Barton's bond on drug sales charges from $950,000 to $115,000.

Barton, 41, and his 25-year-old wife, Lonna, were arrested last week after authorities said they sold the synthetic drug Molly to an undercover officer in Macclenny, hours after the couple appeared at a custody hearing for their 5-year-old daughter. Their 21-month-old son, Lonzie, disappeared on July 24 and remains missing.

Baker County Judge Mark Mosley lowered Chris Barton's bond after hearing the argument from Assistant Public Defender Julie Johnson that a $950,000 bond is the equivalent of no bond. She added that Barton has five children to support and has no history of running away.

Prosecutors pointed to Chris Barton's criminal record, which includes arrests dating back to 2007 for DUI, petty theft and contempt of court.

While he lowered the bond, judge ordered that if Chris Barton is released, he is to have no contact with witnesses or his wife, that he not use drugs or alcohol and have not access to firearms.

Friends of the defendant told News4Jax that even raising the percentage of $115,000 a bondman would require to get him release will be hard.
 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-09-29/story/new-judge-appointed-william-ebron-case

New judge appointed in William Ruben Ebron Jr. case

Tue, Sep 29, 2015 @ 4:41 pm | updated Tue, Sep 29, 2015 @ 5:00 pm

A new judge is now in place for the criminal case against William Ruben Ebron Jr. in the disappearance of nearly 2-year-old Lonzie Barton.

Chief Judge Mark Mahon assigned Circuit Judge Mark Borello after Circuit Judge Marianne Aho recused herself from the case Monday.

Aho announced she was departing after The Florida Times-Union and local television networks opposed defense motions to prohibit the people involved in the case from commenting publicly on it and would limit how public materials could be released.

WJXT TV-4 is represented by Edward Birk of the law firm Marks Gray P.A. Aho also worked for Marks Gray before she was appointed to the bench in 2014 by Gov. Rick Scott.

Aho said with a law firm now involved in the case that she worked for so recently, she didn’t think she could serve as the judge without raising questions of conflict of interest.

Borello was an assistant state attorney before being elected judge in 2012.
 

[cadillac]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/baker-county-judge-drops-chris-bartons-bond-to-115k/35557564

Baker County judge reduces Chris Barton's bond to $115,000

More counts of selling synthetic drug Molly result from third undercover deal

 Published On: Sep 29 2015 01:48:49 PM EDT   Updated  2 m

MACCLENNY, Fla. -

A Baker County judge on Tuesday reduced Christopher Barton's bond on drug sales charges from $950,000 to $115,000.

Barton, 41, and his 25-year-old wife, Lonna, were arrested last week after authorities said they sold the synthetic drug Molly to an undercover officer in Macclenny, hours after the couple appeared at a custody hearing for their 5-year-old daughter. Their 21-month-old son, Lonzie, disappeared on July 24 and remains missing.

Baker County Judge Mark Mosley lowered Chris Barton's bond after hearing the argument from Assistant Public Defender Julie Johnson that a $950,000 bond is the equivalent of no bond. She added that Barton has five children to support and has no history of running away.

Prosecutors pointed to Chris Barton's criminal record, which includes arrests dating back to 2007 for DUI, petty theft and contempt of court.

While he lowered the bond, judge ordered that if Chris Barton is released, he is to have no contact with witnesses or his wife, that he not use drugs or alcohol and have not access to firearms.

Friends of the defendant told News4Jax that even raising the percentage of $115,000 a bondman would require to get him release will be hard.
 

"He has five children to support."

Seriously? Doesn't appear that he is working towards that goal, does it?

One is missing, he lied to the judge about drug use, went straight to a drug deal gone bad, re arrested and now the judge lowers his bond to take care of his children?

I am not understanding, I guess.

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-10-05/story/william-ebron-asks-media-and-public-keep-open-mind-about-him-phone-call

William Ebron asks media and public to keep open mind about him in phone call to Times-Union

In an unexpected phone call to The Florida Times-Union Monday, locked-up William Ruben Ebron Jr. asked the media and public to keep an open mind about him.

Ebron called collect from the Duval County jail wanting to speak about his case involving missing toddler Lonzie Barton. Ebron didn’t talk directly about Lonzie but did say the narrative that has emerged isn’t accurate or fair.
 
Ebron, 32, said the media should talk with his closest friends to get an accurate representation of him. When asked who those friends are, Ebron mentioned Lonzie’s mother, his roommate and a former girlfriend who has three kids with him and filed a sexual-assault report against him.

Ebron denied raping his former girlfriend, who is being identified by the initials J.R. in court filings and is not being named by the Times-Union as the potential victim of sexual assault. Ebron said police know there was no rape but are continuing to say they are investigating the situation as an excuse to keep J.R. and his children away from him.
 
Ebron also said the charges against him are bogus and that prosecutors are just trying to get him to talk about Lonzie. He is charged with two counts of child neglect, giving false information to police during an investigation, attempted escape from prison, possession of a concealed handcuff key and introduction of contraband into a county detention facility.

“They say I’m the key to everything,” Ebron said. “They’re always going to say I’m lying.”

Ebron also defended himself as a parent and asked the reporter if he’d heard the phone calls he’s had with J.R. that were released to the public. When the reporter said he had heard them, Ebron said that showed that he was a good father and J.R. didn’t think he raped her.
 
Ebron also expressed remorse at the fact that Lauramore Barton, 25, is in jail. She was arrested on child-neglect charges in the Jacksonville case, released on bond and then rearrested on drug charges in Baker County.

Investigators said they caught her, estranged husband Christopher Arin Barton, 41, and Shawn Clayton Hall, 32, selling and injecting drugs.

Ebron said all three were arrested in an effort to make them talk about Lonzie. Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson has previously said the arrest had nothing to do with the missing-child case.

“I feel especially bad for Shawn,” Ebron said. “He was probably just driving them around because Chris doesn’t have a car. I don’t think he had anything to do with it.”

Going back to defending himself as a parent, Ebron said he used to take Lonzie and Lonzie’s sister to Baker County to see their father even though Lauramore Barton didn’t really want her two children to see him.

But he believed those kids had a right to see their father, and that’s how he got to know both Barton and Hall. Ebron said he wasn’t friends with Barton at first, who once called him a racial slur, but they grew to respect each other over time.

Monday’s phone call was cut off as time was expiring. Jail phone calls are usually only allowed to last for a set amount of time.

Ebron’s next hearing will be Thursday. He is scheduled to go on trial Dec. 7, but Ebron acknowledged that he wasn’t sure if that was realistic because they haven’t gotten all the information from prosecutors in the case.

“The state’s not giving us anything,” he said. “The media’s getting that stuff before us.”

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-10-05/story/lonna-lauramore-barton-back-court-tuesday-morning

Lonna Lauramore Barton back in court Tuesday morning

Lonna Lauramore Barton and William Ruben Ebron Jr. have been reunited, at least when it comes to the judge hearing their criminal cases.

Lauramore Barton’s Duval County criminal case was transferred Monday to Circuit Judge Mark Borello.

Lauramore Barton, 25, is charged with child-neglect and false-information charges in Duval County and drug charges in Baker County. She has a pretrial hearing on the Duval County charges Tuesday.

Until last week, Ebron and Lauramore Barton were both going before Circuit Judge Marianne Aho, but the judge recused herself from Ebron’s case citing a conflict of interest because a lawyer representing a television network in town that had motioned to intervene in the case worked for the same firm Aho worked at before she became a judge.

After Ebron’s case shifted from Aho to Borello prosecutors asked for Lauramore Barton’s case to go to Borello as well, saying they wanted the cases linked. Chief Judge Mark Mahon approved the change in judge for Lauramore Barton on Monday.
 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2015-10-06/story/court-appearance-lonzie-bartons-mother-delayed-until-next-week

Court appearance of Lonzie Barton's mother delayed until next week

By Larry Hannan Tue, Oct 6, 2015 @ 12:51 pm | updated Tue, Oct 6, 2015 @ 4:18 pm

Lonna Lauramore Barton’s scheduled pretrial hearing was postponed Tuesday because Barton was still in the Baker County jail and not transported back to Jacksonville.

Attorneys for Lauramore Barton said she would have her first hearing in front of Circuit Judge Mark Borello on Monday. Borello was just named the new judge in her case, and Lauramore Barton is required to make a first appearance in front of him.
 

[texasmom]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/ebron-barton-in-court-friday/35873218



Will Ruben Ebron, Lonniea Barton be tried together?
Judge heard arguments on motions to combine cases, restrict evidence

Author: Vic Micolucci, General assignment reporter, vic@wjxt.com
News4Jax.com Staff, webteam@wjxt.com
Published On: Oct 16 2015 05:34:55 AM EDT   Updated  21 m

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
For the first time since a toddler disappeared from a Southside apartment complex, the boy's mother and her boyfriend appeared together Friday in a courtroom.

Lonna Barton and Ruben Ebron are charged with child neglect and lying to police in the July 24 disappearance of 21-month-old Lonzie Barton. Ebron also faces other charges related to an alleged escape attempt after his initial arrest.

Both contend they had nothing to do with the boy's disappearance and neither faces any charges directly relating to that.

They appeared before Judge Mark Borello -- Ebron and his attorneys at the first table and Barton and her lawyers a row behind -- for a hearing on a defense motion to withhold evidence in the cases from the public and a prosecution motion to combine the two cases and try Barton and Ebron together.

In the two-hour hearing, Borello refused the protective order that would prevent the release of discovery evidence in their cases, then took under advisement the motion to combine the cases, legally called joinder.

 

Earlier this month, Ruben Ebron's attorneys withdrew their motion for a gag order that would have prevented everyone in the case from speaking about it publicly. Legal observers felt the judge would reject that request since Ebron himself has placed several calls to media.

But Lonzie's relatives, like Sabra Rhue, think Ruben Ebron and Lonna Barton have the answers about what happened to Lonzie. She thinks both need to face the consequences.

"I want whoever hurt him to pay for it," Rhue said. "We deserve to have his body wherever it may be. He deserves to be put to rest somewhere. Not put out like trash."

Borello said he would issue a ruling on the motion to join the cases after reviewing the arguments and evidence.

The next scheduled hearing in the case is set for Oct. 29.

[texasmom]

Praying for truth and justice for Lonzie! 

https://www.facebook.com/830415610388132/photos/pb.830415610388132.-2207520000.1439985237./830415820388111/?type=3&theater

 

  Justice for Lonzie!

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/vigil-being-held-for-lonzie-bartons-2nd-birthday/35873456

Vigil to be held for Lonzie Barton's 2nd birthday
The vigil will be Saturday in Macclenny at Duck Pond Park

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

A birthday candlelight vigil will be held Saturday for Lonzie Barton, the toddler who disappeared July 24.  Saturday would be Lonzie's second birthday.
 
According to organizers, the vigil will take place at 7 p.m. at Duck Pond Park in Macclenny. Barton's family and friends are inviting the public to attend.

Organizers are asking anyone who does attend to refrain from discussing the case.

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/lonzie-searcher-arrested-in-baker-county/35884940

Lonzie searcher arrested in Baker County

BAKER COUNTY, Fla. -

One of the volunteers who’s been searching for missing toddler Lonzie Barton and was warned against interfering in the investigation was arrested Wednesday night.

David Pembleton{his wife is the lady who recorded lonna in the car talking about how she was searching for Lonzie}, who does not have a valid driver's license, was spotted by a Baker County Sheriff's Office deputy driving a pick-up truck.

The deputy knew Pembleton did not have a valid license and attempted to pull him over, but Pembleton sped away. He was eventually stopped.

In an altercation with several deputies, he kicked two of them, according to the sheriff's office. The deputies used their tasers on Pembleton and subdued him.
 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/jso-dive-team-searching-missing-lonzie-barton/nn5sk/

Updated: 3:49 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 | Posted: 1:03 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, 2015


JSO searches for missing toddler Lonzie Barton

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Monday morning followed up a tip in the Lonzie Barton investigation.

The toddler was reported missing in July. He would've turned 2 years old this past weekend.
JSO dive teams at 10 a.m. began searching an area near the Southside apartment complex at Old Kings Road and Naranja Drive. JSO Public Information Officer Christian Hancock said they were following up on a tip.

Police dogs were also used in the search, JSO Public Information Officer Melissa Bujeda said. The search was finishing up around 3:30 p.m., Bujeda said.
 

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/dive-team-searching-near-lonzies-home/35922352

Dive team searches ditch near Lonzie's home

Nothing found in search for missing toddler

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office dive team searched a drainage ditch Monday near where 21-month-old Lonzie Barton was reported missing.

JSO said it was searching the ditch near a JEA easement off Old Kings Road based on a tip it received. It said crews has previously searched this ditch, which is near the Ravenwood Apartments where Lonzie lived with his family.

The search concluded just after 2 p.m.
 

[texasmom]

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/jso-dive-team-searching-missing-lonzie-barton/nn5sk/

JSO searching ditch lines for missing toddler Lonzie Barton

[KarmaRoundUp]

 

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/ruben-ebron-deleted-photos-lonzie-barton-injuries/nn8Z8/

Updated: 10:12 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2015 | Posted: 5:25 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2015

Documents: Ebron deleted photos of Lonzie Barton’s injuries

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

Newly released court documents are revealing details about Lonzie Barton’s injuries and his caregivers’ behavior in the days leading up to his disappearance.
 
The new court documents said Lonzie was barely eating, losing weight and he was bleeding so badly from the mouth -- because of an oral infection called thrush -- that blood was getting into his bottle.
 

The court documents said neither Lonzie’s mother nor her boyfriend tried to seek medical attention for him.

“So that makes us wonder, is that because there was no need for it or somebody’s trying to hide something?” said Dr. Randy Alexander, chief of the Child Protection Team’s Division of Child Protection and Forensic Pediatrics.

The documents said Ebron had pictures of Lonzie’s injuries on his cell phone, but deleted them when police asked for a photo for the Amber Alert.

The court documents said Ruben Ebron told his father, William Ebron, in a phone call from jail that Lonzie had been losing weight.
William Ebron told Action News Jax Friday night he doesn’t remember that conversation. He turned down our offer to look through those documents together.

The documents also reveal Ruben Ebron told a news reporter that Lonzie had not been sold.

[KarmaRoundUp]

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/documents/2015/oct/23/ebron-5th-supplemental-discovery-exhibit/

Document: Ebron 5th supplemental discovery exhibit