Cadaver dogs and drone added to help in search for missing Wells baby

WELLS, Texas (KTRE) - Today search dogs and a drone were added to search efforts for the missing baby from Wells.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Wells Police Department, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, search dogs, and drones were searching for baby Armaidre along Forest Road. Wells Police says this is the last place the baby was seen with his father DeAndre Argumon.

“So we began, of course, at ground zero. At the house where the baby was last seen, where we know that the baby was at that location last Friday, and we’ve expanded out from there,” said Steve Cooper with the Wells Police Department. “And we had several other tips in different locations in and around Wells, and they now have expanded to those locations.”

Last Friday, Cooper says they had K-9′s searching the greater area and came back with negative results. Today cadaver dogs were searching the area.

“These are specialized animals that we do have from TDCJ,” he said." They, as I understand, are a little more sensitive and after the recent rains, that might have tamped down some of the previous scents and they may be able to clue in on something specific."

Cooper said they are still looking for a starting point and it’s been like finding a needle in a haystack.

“It could be anything. It could be something very small, this is why we revisit, on the outside chance that we might have missed some small item in the previous searches,” Cooper said. “Clothing, diapers, we’ve had hundreds of diaper calls and we’ve checked all of them out. So far nothing that has led us to believe that it’s part of our ongoing investigation.”

They were able to fly a helicopter once the weather cleared this afternoon. There was a drone getting an aerial view.

“We still have involvement from all of the agencies that started this, we have not slowed down. We have not ceased any searching,” Cooper said. “We are continuing to follow up on tips as they come in and we appreciate all the tips that the public are feeding into the various locations.”

DeAndre is in jail and has not been cooperating with officials during interviews.

Cooper says they are asking anyone who has outside video cameras that were operating last Friday, between Wells and Lufkin, to review the footage to see if either vehicle the father was driving passed by between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. in a 2003 gray Ford Explorer or green Ford Ranger.

This can help officials with completing a timeline of where he was and when.