A 13-year-old boy who was reported missing in April was recently spotted by El Dorado police, who were unable to stop a vehicle in which the boy was riding before he exited and disappeared again, investigators said.
However, officers arrested the driver of the vehicle -- a 17-year-old boy -- a short time later in connection to the case.
Police are still searching for Amarion Robinson, who was reported missing by his mother on April 13.
She told officers that she had last seen her son on April 4. The boy had reportedly run away from home.
Since the missing person's report was filed with the El Dorado Police Department, officers have reported at least two sightings of the boy.
While investigating a report of fraud at Go Rainbow Food Mart, 2110 Junction City Road, on April 20, police spotted Robinson in video footage that was recorded by the store's surveillance/security system, confirming that the boy had been inside the store the same day.
"So, he was last seen on April 20," said Lt. Jarod Primm of the EPD's Criminal Investigative Division.
On Thursday, Primm said officers recently received a tip that Robinson was in El Dorado and had been seen riding in a vehicle in or near the Morning Star neighborhood.
"We got a vehicle description and we went to try to find the vehicle. We saw it probably about an hour later and (we're) 99% sure that Amarion Robinson was in the car," Primm explained. "When we first saw the car, we could not (immediately) get in a position to catch up to it and stop it and it got away from us."
He said officers found the car a short time later at the Haygood-Neal Garden Apartments complex in the 1300 block of West First.
Police spoke to the driver, a 17-year-old boy, who said he did not know Robinson or the name of the passenger who was seen in the car.
Primm said the boy is a friend of Robinson's.
Police said they did not find Robinson during a search of the area.
The 17-year-old was taken into custody for hindering apprehension and prosecution, a misdemeanor.
Additional details, such as where officers initially spotted the car or if the car was occupied when they located it at Haygood-Neal, were not released.
The EPD is working with the Morgan Nick Foundation, a nonprofit that provides resources to families of missing children, to help spread the word Robinson's disappearance and to solicit help in locating him.
ArcticFox True Crime has posted a video about the case on its YouTube page.
Both the EPD and the MNF are aware of talk around the community and on social media posts saying that Robinson's mother knows his whereabouts.
Police have said that Robinson's mother has not confirmed that she is aware of his location.
Officers learned that Robinson had been fitted with a GPS monitoring device and the device had gone dark prior to his being reported missing.
"He had removed the GPS. We don't know when it was removed or why he was wearing it," Primm said.
"We certainly hope Amarion is safe, but until law enforcement puts eyes on him, they won't close that case," Colleen Nick, executive director of the MNF, previously told the News-Times. "His friends could be saying one thing, and there could be an entirely different situation, so they have to lay eyes on him."
Robinson is described as Black, 5 feet 3 inches tall and 145 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call the CID 870-881-4810.