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Cleveland police are searching for a couple with numerous charges related to the death of their 4-year-old God child Eliazar Ruiz after they failed to show up to court Tuesday morning.

According to ABC5, Joanna Vega and Romaine Tolbert were indicted two weeks ago on charges including murder, involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse, kidnapping, and permitting child abuse in connection with the child’s death. Their first court date was scheduled to be Jan. 29. They did not appear.

Eliazar’s body was found in a garbage bag behind a vacant home on Longmead Avenue in September 2017 .

According to reports, Eliazar was killed sometime between March 1, 2015 and Sept. 20, 2017.

Vega and Tolbert were to care for him while his mother Ashley Makuhan served time in prison.

“He was a very smart little boy, very happy, very playful, rambunctious,” Makuhan told the station.

Makuhan saw a news report from inside prison and was able to identify police sketches as her son Eliazar.

“I knew that they knew something because she had my son. She was his godmother,” Makhuhan said. “But it’s just a shock. Everything is just a shock.”

Now, she said, the shock continues as the couple failed to show up for their initial court date and are believed to be on the run. Warrants were issued for their arrest on the indictment, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for any information leading to their arrest. Tips can be anonymous.

The couple was never arrested because police were investigating the case. Once the indictment was obtained, detectives began looking for them but they were never located, according to ABC5.

“There will justice for my son and I will not stop fighting until there is,” Makuhan said, pleading with anyone who has information about Vega and Tolbert’s whereabouts to please call Cleveland Police.

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Couple Charged In 4-Year-Old’s Murder Fail To Show Up In Court  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com