Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with search and rescue personnel, have been involved in the search for the last two days for a missing 2-year-old boy last seen in the Beaver Creek Campground. The campground is located southeast of State Route 179 off Interstate 17.
Sylar Newton, the missing boy, has light brown hair, blue eyes, and was wearing only a diaper at the time he was discovered missing. He is approximately 3 feet tall and weighs about 20 pounds.
Sylar was last seen around midnight inside a tent while sleeping with other family members. At about 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, the family discovered him missing from his sleeping bag. They searched the area briefly and called 9-1-1 after failing to locate him.
Highly trained bloodhounds conducted an unsuccessful grid search of the area to make sure all possibilities of potential scent markings were exhausted, according to YCSO.
YCSO detectives learned Sunday, July 25, that the woman who identified herself as Sylar’s mother is actually his custodial mom.
She told detectives she is in the process of legally adopting the boy who has been in her care for several months.
Sylar and family, including his custodial mom, her mother, the custodial mother’s boyfriend, and her two children, all came to the campsite Friday, July 23. The family is from Flagstaff.
YCSO Media and Crime Prevention Coordinator Dwight D’Evelyn said Tuesday, July 27, polygraphs were given to the custodial mother and grandmother, and items were being collected from the campground.
“We are still searching and hoping for the best,” he said.
The custodial mother claims she last saw Sylar around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday inside a tent with her, her mother and daughter.
Slyer was sleeping with one the custodial mom, her mother, and the custodial mother’s 12-year-old daughter. The mother’s 14-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend were sleeping in a second tent. At approximately 1:45 a.m. the custodial mother found Sylar missing and allegedly conducted a search before calling 9-1-1.
The mother called Sedona Fire District at 2 a.m. but the call was lost upon transfer to YCSO. The first official call recorded by YCSO came around 2:30 a.m. from a camp host.
Deputies contacted and spoke with more than 25 campers who were on site at the time of Sylar’s disappearance. As of yesterday, the campground was cleared of all visitors to allow search crews to continue their work.
Yesterday, detectives recovered two vehicles and property from the family’s campsite and those items will be examined in the next few days in an attempt to shed light on this situation.
There is no immediate indication Sylar was taken from the campsite, so searchers are working under the assumption he wandered from his tent. Campers not related to the family told
deputies they saw Sylar at the campsite Saturday evening.
Currently, YCSO has over 50 personnel on scene as part of the coordinated search effort. An Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter completed a flyover Monday morning and is expected to return and search further.
If anyone has information regarding Sylar’s whereabouts, contact YCSO immediately at 9-1-1 or (928) 771-3260.
