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Missing 2-year-old boy found safe, Osceola Co. deputies say

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — UPDATE - Thursday, Aug. 16, 10:30 a.m.

Elijah West was found safe and in good health, Osceola County deputies said. The boy was found after an anonymous tipster watched a news report, deputies said.

Elizabeth Harris said she called deputies after watching reporter Angela Jacobs' report on Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 6.

"You said call 911. We called 911. We gave them all the information that we knew," she said. "We knew where he was, where he used to live, all about the family."

Harris said she doesn't know if her tip led deputies to Elijah, but she was relieved when a detective called to say the boy had been found safe.

"He's a very happy baby, very friendly," said Harris, who is an acquaintance of the family. "Everybody calls him 'Chunkers.' Nobody knows his legal name. I didn't even know until I heard it on the news, and I've known the little boy forever."

Harris said Elijah's parents had lived in the hotel room next to her.

"They've been around the area every day. He comes here every day," she said. "They weren't interested in accepting jobs. They just wanted to beg for money."

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Osceola County deputies say they are searching for a missing 2-year-old boy who might have been taken by his parents.

Deputies said Elijah West is the subject of an active court order, which requires law enforcement members to take immediate custody of Elijah.

Deputies believe that when Elijah's parents -- Anthony Deon West and Sheena Marie Dubois -- learned about the judge’s order to take him, they took the boy and left.

Investigators said they could be with relatives in Atlanta, Orlinda, Tennessee, or Madison, Tennessee.

The Florida Department of Children and Families said it has already taken custody of Elijah's newborn sibling.

Investigators wouldn't specify why the judge ordered that the children be removed from their parents' custody.

"We're going to do everything we can and put all the resources that are available to try and locate this child," Osceola County Maj. Jacob Ruiz said. "It's so important that whatever DCF saw and the judge saw to issue this order that we need to have custody of this child and make sure his welfare is OK."

Investigators said the family was last seen July 17 at an extended-stay hotel near Kissimmee. Court records said the couple has lived at various motels in the area for the past five years.

Management at the hotel where the family was last seen said they lived there for about one year but were asked to leave several weeks ago because they couldn't pay rent.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at 407-348-2222.

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