On July 24, 2015, 21 month old Lonzie Barton was reported missing while in the care of his mother’s boyfriend, Ruben Ebron. Initially, Ebron told police that he put the child in a car that morning to go pick up the boy’s mother, Lonna Barton from her job at a Gentleman’s Club; however, went back into the apartment for something. Reportedly, when he returned, the vehicle had been stolen with the toddler inside. Shortly thereafter, the car was found abandoned a few blocks away. In the days following Lonzie’s disappearance, Ebron indicated he would show authorities where they could find the boy but stonewalled investigators several times by leading them to numerous areas of towns and eventually denying he ever intended to show the detectives where the child was. The police began to suspect both the child’s mother and Ebron were withholding information regarding the whereabouts and believed Lonzie was most likely deceased. Ebron and Lonna Barton both denied any knowledge or involvement in disposing of the toddler’s body or the toddlers demise. In August, 2015 the disappearance became a homicide investigation as video surveillance refuted Ebron’s story of the toddler’s kidnapping. Both Ebron and Barton …show more content…
He told police the little boy drowned in a bathtub at the apartment he and the boys mother shared while the couple had sex on July 24th. In turn,
Ebron pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter, child neglect, tampering with evidence and giving false information to police and was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated manslaughter. The sentences for the remaining charges will be served concurrently as those sentences carry charges of less than 20 year terms. Other charges against Ebron, including a botched jail escape, were dropped as part of the plea