As Columbus police continue to search for 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, an arrest warrant for his legal guardian, 48-year-old Pammy Maye, shows she said the boy was no longer alive and could not be found.
Court documents state that Maye's husband told police in a 911 call that he searched the house after Maye claimed Darnell was not alive, but that he had not seen his son since the day before. Maye reportedly said she had a plan and fled the house on Reeb Avenue on Columbus’ east side during the call early Wednesday morning.
In an update Thursday afternoon, Columbus Deputy Chief Smith Weir said dashcam video from a police cruiser shows that the officer responding to the house may have passed Maye’s grey 2015 Jeep Cherokee near East Livingston Avenue and Lockborne Road.
Weir said because the Jeep didn’t have a front license plate and the officer was focused on the emergency call, the vehicle went unrecognized.
The car was found abandoned about two hours later in Brooklyn, a suburb of Cleveland.
Police are working to compile a timeline of Maye's movements over the last week. Weir said they are also seeking information from anyone in northeast Ohio who may have seen Maye, Darnell, or the vehicle early Wednesday.
Police Chief Elaine Bryant made a plea to Maye. “Pammy, if you’re watching this, could you please reach out and contact us? We need to know that Darnell is safe. We need to know if you're safe," Bryant said.
Bryant said Darnell’s father has been cooperative in the investigation.
Maye faces felony charges of kidnapping and child endangering in Franklin County Municipal Court.
