Self-proclaimed 'witch' charged with kidnapping son of missing mom Leila Cavett
Leila Cavett, 21, with her 2-year-old son Kamdyn. Police have been looking for her since finding the little boy wandering alone July 26. (Miramar Police Department)
MIRAMAR, Fla. - An Alabama man now faces kidnapping charges in the case of missing Georgia mom Leila Cavett, one day after federal authorities arrested the suspect who claimed he was the last person to see her before she disappeared in South Florida.
Federal authorities arrested 38-year-old Shanon Demar Ryan on Sunday, initially charging him with two counts of lying to a federal officer, according to an online jail booking log for the Broward County Sheriff's Office. Court documents filed Monday morning reveal he was also charged with kidnapping Cavett's 2-year-old son.
Court documents said Ryan, who is a self-proclaimed "witch" according to his social media profile, kidnapped Cavett's toddler Kamdyn for the purpose of seeking a ransom, according to WSVN.
According to the criminal complaint, “a vehicle consistent with Ryan’s gold Lexus is seen directly in front of the apartment complex where the child was recovered, only minutes before the child was found. Ryan’s Lexus is very distinguishable because it is missing the front bumper.”
BCSO photo
After the child was abandoned, investigators say Ryan bought Hefty trash bags, duct tape and extra-strength carpet odor eliminator.
Authorities said they discovered shovels with small droplets of a red substance on them.
The complaint said Ryan made several searches on Google on his phone, asking, “What day does commercial garbage pickup for Hollywood, Florida,” and “Does bleach and alcohol make chloroform.”
“According to the National Institute of Health, chloroform is commonly used to incapacitate a victim by rendering them unconscious,” the complaint said.
Related: FBI joins search for missing mom whose 2-year-old son was found wandering alone
In a rambling 51-minute video posted on Facebook, a man who appears to be Ryan says he was the last person to see Cavett, whose young son was found wandering alone July 26 in a shirt and diaper in a Miramar, Florida parking lot.
"We have a missing woman, and I gave the police everything that I know," he says in the video.
The special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami office had sought help from the public in locating the missing 21-year-old woman, and he echoed concerns about the "safety and well-being" of the young mother.
Cavett was last seen just hours before her 2-year-old son, Kamdyn, was found wandering alone outside an apartment complex.
Authorities believe Cavett and her son had arrived in South Florida the day before she went missing — and after spending time in several Broward County communities. Her vehicle was found unattended July 28 in Hollywood.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.