Frantic search for 2-year-old at center of national alert after car is found - but not the boy

Anthony Stroder, originally from Midwest City, Oklahoma, has been missing since January

Anthony Stroder, two, is believed to be with his non-custodial mother Katelyn Thornton and her boyfriend Aurelio Cardenas (Oklahoma Highway Patrol)

A car has been found in connection with the frantic search for a two-year-old boy but the child is still missing, authorities said.

Anthony Stroder, originally from Midwest City in Oklahoma, has been missing since January 27.

Potter County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a car – a 2011 GMC Acadia – in connection to the search has been found in Amarillo, Texas. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for the missing child earlier this month.

The toddler is believed to be with his non-custodial mother Katelyn Thornton, 22, and her boyfriend Aurelio Cardenas, 26, according to Sergeant Eric Hooker.

The couple were seen driving in the car on February 14.

“I believe the longer the child is missing, the further the endangerment becomes. Just based off of not being in his comfort zone, not being with, you know, accurate family members,” Hooker told local media.

Anthony Stroder, two, is believed to be with his non-custodial mother Katelyn Thornton and her boyfriend Aurelio Cardenas (Oklahoma Highway Patrol)

Police no longer believe that the pair are in Amarillo and could be in the Texas Panhandle region with Stroder.

The sheriff’s office said that Cardenas is a registered sex offender and was arrested in 2019 for solicitation of a minor, News9 reported.

Aurelio Cardenas’s mom, Claudia Cardenas, was also arrested on February 21 for tampering with evidence in relation to the case, according to Hooker.

Stroder has blonde hair, blue eyes, is around three feet tall, and weighs roughly 27 pounds, the amber alert states.