Missing 6-year-old Ramon "RJ" Jett found dead in pond near Riverdale, Clayton County police say

A 6-year-old boy who had been the focus of an intensive search since Sunday has been found dead, Clayton County police confirmed Monday.

Ramon "RJ" Jett was found Monday morning in a pond near his last known location in the 8000 block of Webb Road in Riverdale, according to the Clayton County Police Department. Officers said the nonverbal child had been missing for nearly a day. His family has been notified.

The department said the investigation remains active and ongoing, and detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the child's death. No additional information has been released at this time.

RJ was last seen Sunday between 11:30 a.m. and noon wearing a light green shirt, camouflage shorts and white socks. Police said he was nonverbal and had a mental health condition, making the search especially urgent. 

Officers, K-9 teams, a drone unit, a dive unit, detectives and patrol officers searched the area, while authorities asked residents to check yards, sheds, wooded areas and other places where a child could seek shelter.

CBS News Atlanta spoke with Valerie Williams, a neighbor who said she was one of the dozens of people who helped in the search for Jett throughout the day Sunday. Williams said she made a discovery that she said shifted the focus of investigators' search efforts.

"When we found out the severity of the child, that's when the community just came out and started looking," Williams said. "When I came out to look there was some socks right there. Some white tube socks. I waved over a police and said 'Hey, there's some child socks right here.' The community really rallied around and tried to help find the baby. I stayed out until midnight because I know if it was my grandkids or my child I would want someone to do the same."

Williams said she later got word that the family confirmed the socks to be those belonging to Jett.

Other neighbors told CBS News Atlanta that it was incredible to see a neighborhood and community come together to search for a child as if it was one of their own children.

In a statement Monday, the Clayton County Police Department thanked the many law enforcement agencies, first responders, volunteers and community partners who assisted in the search.

The department also thanked community members who shared information and asked the public to respect RJ's family's privacy as they grieve. Police said additional information will be released as the investigation permits.