Crime
Body of missing 7-year-old Liam King found in a pond
UPDATE: It is with great sadness that we share the following update.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the body of 7-year-old Liam King was discovered this morning in a pond near the area where he was initally reported missing.
We are absolutely devastated. I wish more than anything that we had a different outcomeโfor Liamโs family, for our community, and for the hundreds of first responders and volunteers who poured their hearts into finding him alive.
Over the past two days, youโve seen an extraordinary effort from all involved in this search. This loss is truly heartbreaking. We ask everyone to please continue to keep Liamโs family in your thoughts and prayers.
Liamโs death remains an active investigation.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
ASHEBORO, N.C. โ A massive search effort is underway in Randolph County for a missing 7-year-old boy, Liam King, who was reported missing late Sunday morning after wandering away from a home on Forest Hills Drive in Asheboro.
According to the Randolph County Sheriffโs Office, deputies received the report of the missing child at approximately 11:00 a.m. Sunday, September 7.
Liam, who has cognitive impairments and is nonverbal, was visiting a relative at the residence when he disappeared.
Sheriff Greg Seabolt confirmed that investigators do not believe Liam was abducted or that foul play is involved, but that he may be lost, disoriented, and at risk.
Hundreds of officers and search crews from the Randolph County Sheriffโs Office, North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, multiple search and rescue teams, and federal partners including the FBI have been deployed in the search.
Drones, helicopters, K-9 teams, and ground units have canvassed a 2,500-meter radius around the home where Liam was last seen.
Authorities are focusing particular attention on nearby ponds, streams, and other bodies of water, as Sheriff Seabolt noted Liam is known to be fascinated with water.
Deputies said Liam was last seen wearing a light blue, black, and gray Nike sweatshirt, a gray Nike T-shirt, black sweatpants, blue Sonic-themed socks, and tan sneakers.
He is described as approximately 3 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 55 pounds, with shoulder-length dark hair and brown eyes.
Officials caution that because Liam is nonverbal, he may run if approached by strangers.
The father of missing 7-year-old Liam King has been identified as Jose Luis Reyes, who reportedly shared on Facebook that the family is looking for a pair of pants & sweater as the search continues. Reyes works as a manager at a Mexican restaurant and is originally from Mexico.
Liamโs mother has been identified as Brenda Victoria King, a resident of Asheboro, North Carolina.
Court records indicate that she was convicted of larceny in 2016 and received a suspended prison sentence in that case.
This is Liam King when he was 4 months old with his mother & father. Brenda King & Jose Luis Reyes. It appears Brenda & Jose have been separated for numerous years.
To aid in the search, deputies have been broadcasting music and television shows Liam enjoys in hopes of drawing him out of hiding, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
The Sheriffโs Office released a public statement Monday morning:
*โThe Randolph County Sheriffโs Office is using every resource available to find this little boy. That includes many law enforcement partners, state, local, and federal resources, and other first responders who have been searching on the ground and in the air since we first received the call that he was missing. We will continue to conduct extensive searches and interviews. Therefore, you will continue to notice an enhanced law enforcement presence in the area where he was last seen. Liam is a member of our community, and we will use every means possible to bring him home.
To ensure the integrity of the tracking efforts currently underway, we kindly ask that no one enter the area at this time unless you have been sent out from the command post. Even a well-intentioned movement could compromise valuable tracks. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Every second counts when a child is missing, especially after the chilly night we just had. Our focus is to find Liam as quickly as possible. No piece of information is too small or insignificant.โ*
Authorities have urged anyone who sees Liam, or who may have relevant information, to immediately call 911.
The search remains active and ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.