Briant Rodriguez is Missing; Photo of Possible Abductors Released

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and California authorities have released a photo of two men they believe may have been the two gunmen that abducted 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez from his home, leaving his mother and four siblings bound inside their ransacked house. According to the Associated Press, San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops said Thursday that the photo was from footage taken from a video surveillance camera at a nearby hardware store. It is believed that the two men, who later went to the Rodriguez home armed with handguns, bought duct tape there two days prior to the robbery and abduction.

Briant's mother, Maria Rosalina Milan, called the police after one of the little boys, an 8-year-old, managed to free himself, then loosen the binds on the rest of his family. Although she was warned by the gunmen not to contact the police, Milan called as soon as she was free, telling the police that the two men had burst into her home, bound her and her five children, stole money and property while ransacking her house, then left with little Briant Rodriguez.

The entire robbery and abduction took about 20 minutes, Milan told police.

Briant's father was at work when the abduction took place. Maria Milan has seven children, an adult child who does not live with the family and a 16-year-old who wasn't at home when the robbery / abduction took place.

Sheriff Hoops declined to comment on motive, leaving the topic open for broad speculation. With nearly nothing to go on (nobody saw the vehicle the gunmen used at the time), police began to try to put together a motive, including theories of drug cartels and human trafficking. As time went by and no ransom was demanded, other theories moved to the fore. An Amber Alert was issued for Briant Rodriguez near midnight Sunday.

And it is uncertain if Briant Rodriguez is still in the state of California. Border authorities were notified Sunday, but it is unclear if the gunmen had enough time to cross the border before the alert went out.

Still, in the case of a missing child, it is to the advantage of the investigators to have something to follow-up that is more concrete than that were two gunmen who spoke Spanish. The released photo of the two men, who are believed to be Hispanic, in the home-improvement store may be the break that is needed to reunite Briant with his family. But it must be remembered that the two men are only suspects and they may not have anything to do with the Rodriguez abduction. Purchasing tape in and of itself is not a crime. Still, it certainly gives investigators ample reason to talk with the two men.

The FBI posted a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the recovery of Briant Rodriguez.

There is also reason to believe that the two men are driving a dark green 1990's Ford Bronco with a spare tire mounted on the back.

Briant Rodriguez stands about 3 feet tall and has long past-the-shoulders black hair (which may have since been cut). He has brown eyes and weighs about 40 pounds. He was last seen in a yellow shirt with blue sleeves, two-toned blue striped shorts, and sandals. He has a small warts (or bumps) on both his right pinky finger and his left ring finger.

Anyone having information regarding the abduction or the whereabouts of Briant Rodriguez is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, the toll-free hotline: 866-346-7632, or the nearest FBI office. For sightings outside the United States, contact the U. S. Embassy or Consulate.

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Sources:

Associated Press

FBI.gov