COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Family is trying to hold onto hope on day three of the search for baby Andrew Caballeiro in Collier County
Baby Andrew is now 13 days old and has been missing for 10 days after an Amber Alert for him was issued last month.
Miami-Dade Police are leading the search. They continued looking through an area near the Everglades with help from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s cadaver dogs. They’re following the path they believe Andrew’s father Ernesto Caballeiro took from Miami to Pasco county down Interstate 41.
Caballiero’s family hired private investigator, Fernando Alvarez, with the Missing Children Global Network to search for the infant. He says the family is hopeful, but aren’t sure he’s alive.
“Unfortunately statistics don’t bring any hope. As the time passes the possibility of finding Andrew alive is minimal. Actually the police are not looking for him alive. They’re thinking that he’s most likely dead and we believe the same thing,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez also broke down how the search is working. He believes they’re searching in Collier County because Ernesto could’ve stopped there and buried the baby.
“Basically it’s following the road and trying to stop in every place or if you could enter a park and have the time to go inside the land and open or dig a hole to bury the baby. That’s why they’re using the cadaver dogs,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said the cadaver dogs are an integral part of the search. He believes officials are looking for a body at this point.
While the family tries to cope with this tragedy, they’re hoping anyone with information on the missing infant will come forward. Miami-Dade Police is also offering a $1,000 reward for anyone with useful information.
Alvarez is hoping the search will expand to every mile from Miami Dade to Pasco county. He thinks the next county to search is Lee County.