JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It's been eight long days and still no sign of missing 21-month-old Lonzie Barton.
"It's hard to keep hope up for them finding him alive, but I do hope they find him," said Diana Schmelz.
As the search for little Lonzie comes to a close, residents are clinging to their faith that he'll be found safe.
"I am believe that God will guide them, every officer, whoever he can use to bring that baby forth," said Pastor Jerry Daniel.
After initially focusing the search on Jacksonville's Southside, where the child was last seen, investigators shifted their focus to the Northside and, on Friday, scaled back the search.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief Tom Hackney says that doesn't mean police are giving up hope.
"We have hit over 48 acres of land that has been searched and 61 bodies of water and more than 2,100 homes and business doors that have been knocked upon," said Chief Hackney.
The man Hackney says has the answer to finding the child is Ruben Ebron.
Early in the search, investigators said Ebron was the last person to see the child. They insist he's lying about his car being stolen with the child inside.
"To hear him portrayed as a monster and a demon it hurts," said Ruben Ebron's father, William.
William admits that his son has not lived the best life, but says he believes that he would not do anything to deliberately harm Lonzie.
Ruben's parents visited him in jail Friday, bringing pictures of him with his own three children, hoping to tug on his heart so that Lonzie can be found.
"Put yourself in that mother's position, put yourself in that family's position, how would you feel?" William said he told his son.
In their conversation with Ruben, his parents say his side of the story suggests that investigators are not being completely truthful.
"How stupid would you be to tell investigators that I went back inside the home to do cocaine, and the baby is missing? He said, 'I never said anything like that,'" William told First Coast News.
For residents, like Nikki Freedle, thousands of prayers from the community will compel someone to come forward.
"Someone will have to be convicted in their heart by God to come forth and say, 'I know where he is and send someone to that place.' It is the only right thing to do," said Freedle.
