Family Holds Vigil For Kidnapped Boy

PATTERSON, Calif. (CBS13) -- Family and friends gathered at the home where 4-year-old Juliani Cardenas was kidnapped to pray for his safe return as authorities investigated the grim possibility that the suspect drove his vehicle into a nearby canal.

The family of the young boy suffered an emotional rollercoaster Wednesday after the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department acted on "credible" information from a farm worker who saw a vehicle plunge into the Delta-Mendota Canal near Highway 33, just six miles from the victim's home.

Fresh tire tracks leading into the water drew search and rescue crews to an area of the canal north of Zacharias Road.

"We're not getting any more tips and leads in this case," said Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson. "Normally in these cases, you get a lot more information, continuously."

Authorities said the description of the vehicle matched the silver Toyota Corolla that belongs to 27-year-old Jose Esteban Rodriguez, who is accused of assaulting the boy's grandmother Tuesday afternoon and ripping Cardenas away from her in her garage, laughing all the while.

Rodriguez is the ex-boyfriend of the victim's mother, and has grown progressively more angry and erratic since their relationship ended five months ago.

Dive teams searched the canal for hours Wednesday afternoon. Concern mounted just after 5:00 p.m. when crews reported finding a car beneath the surface of the water, but when authorities pulled the vehicle out, they reported the vehicle was a stolen car not connected to the case.

Investigators believe the eyewitness report is credible and will continue searching the canal Thursday morning. Swift waters may have pushed the vehicle through a filtration siphoning system and further downstream, authorities said.

If the suspect's vehicle is located in the canal, the possible outcomes are grim, but investigators say they are still pursuing every angle they can.

"We're still hopeful that we'll get that tip or that lead that leads us to a great conclusion," Sheriff Christianson said, "the safe recovery of the kidnapping victim."

Dozens of community members gathered at Juliani's home late Wednesday evening to pray for his safe return and support his family members.

Tabitha Cardenas, Juliani's mother, says she is growing more afraid that she will never see her son again.

"I want to tell him I love him, and mommy's here waiting for him," she said. "I have a lot of things in the house that remind me of him. I try to think happy thoughts."

Tabitha said she is 8-months pregnant with the suspect's child, but even though she tried to maintain a friendly relationship with him after they broke up, his rising anger grew more difficult to handle.

"I was trying to be friends for the baby, but at times it's kind of hard to even do that," Tabitha said.

Rodriguez isn't the biological father of Juliani but told her he wanted the boy for himself, she said.

A member of Rodriguez's family, uncle Jesus Rodriguez, attended the vigil to offer his support and said he believes Jose wouldn't hurt the child.

"He's in love with the girl, he loves the kid very much," Jesus said.

The suspect spoke with his uncle just a few hours before the kidnapping, and although he seemed "sad," there was no indication he was planning something so drastic, Jesus said. Jose didn't show up to work at a frozen foods cannery in Patterson on Tuesday, and then Jesus saw the Amber Alert issued that evening.

Jose hasn't answered his phone when family has called since the alert was issued, Jesus said. Authorities suspected early in the investigation that the alleged kidnapper would head to San Jose to visit family, but now say he has family across the state.

Jose's brother has also been unreachable by phone since the kidnapping, Jesus said.

The Amber Alert issued soon after Juliani's abduction is still active across the state and law enforcement agencies are still on the alert for Jose Rodriguez or his vehicle.

Juliani Cardenas is described as 3 feet 6 inches tall, 40 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing dark pants, a light blue shirt, and black Spiderman shoes that light up.

Jose Rodriguez is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and was least seen wearing a white and black shirt, checkered shorts and a beanie.

Rodriguez was last seen driving a silver Toyota Corolla with a California license plate number of 6HBW445. The car has oversized aluminum wheels and the left rear wheel is a smaller, spare wheel.

Anyone with information on the suspect or victim's whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.

Since the Amber Alert system launched in California in 2002, 175 alerts have been issued and 213 children have been located. Authorities said 99 percent of the children have been found alive.