This footage was filmed and produced 16 February 2024.

In a shocking turn of events, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies rescued an infant and toddler who were abandoned in the woods by a suspect on-the-run. The suspect, Justin Ryan Trompeter, is facing a laundry list of charges including child neglect, domestic violence assault, robbery, theft, harassment, and reckless endangerment.

The harrowing incident began when JCSO deputies received a tip that Trompeter was hiding with the two young children deep in the Jacksonville woods. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found the children abandoned in a vehicle, with suspected fentanyl and meth present.

Fortunately, the children were checked by Mercy Flights medics and are now in the care of the Department of Human Services. The suspect, however, remains at large and anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact ECSO Dispatch.