Dozens of volunteers and deputies on foot, horseback and in the air were searching late this evening for a missing 2-year-old boy.
Luis Martinez was reported missing by his parents at around 3 p.m. He was last seen playing at a neighbor's home on Silver Lane, south of State Road 60 and off Mulrennan Road.
In addition to deputies on the ground and mounted patrols, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is using police dogs and a helicopter to search for Luis.
Deputies set up a blockade at the corner of Silver Lane and Mulrennan and are searching all vehicles coming or going into the neighborhood.
As night fell and word spread about the missing child, dozens of residents grabbed flashlights to help search nearby dense woods and other areas.
The sheriff's office conducted a reverse-911 call to alert neighbors in a 5-mile radius about the missing child and began contacting all the registered sexual offenders in the area.
Spanish-speaking deputies were brought in to interview the parents, who are cooperating with investigators, the sheriff's office said. Deputies are prepared to search all night if necessary.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing child alert at about 7:30 p.m.
Luis was last seen wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt with a tiger logo, red pants and sandals.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Luis is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff's Office at 247-8200.
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