Detectives investigate Washington state tip in 2006 Fort Myers baby kidnapping

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

Fort Myers detectives are investigating a new tip from Tacoma, Washington, in the 2006 kidnapping of Bryan Dos Santos Gomes, who was abducted as a baby and is believed to still be alive.

An age progression photo released by investigators shows what Bryan may look like today at 19 years old. Authorities are sending the image worldwide in hopes of locating him, and the new tip has led detectives to focus on Tacoma.

“It stood out in regard to the fact that we did interview the tipster. And we think there may be more information that could develop from this tip,” a detective said. “Tacoma was the area where the person making the tip to us resides in that area. So we're looking at that area. We're also sending this out to other areas in the country. We have tips from those areas, too."

Bryan was just 4 weeks old when his mother, Maria, and a friend entered a black SUV in Fort Myers with a Hispanic woman who had stopped to ask for directions. Maria told investigators the woman pulled out a knife, forced her friend and her friend’s baby out of the vehicle, and drove off with Bryan.

Authorities have released a sketch of the woman they say kidnapped Bryan in December 2006. They also revealed a voice recording of the woman, which was enhanced by the Secret Service, in hopes that someone would recognize her voice.

Detective Harasym said Bryan could potentially upload DNA to websites like Ancestry.com or MyHeritage, which might help connect him to Fort Myers investigators.

While the details of the tip remain undisclosed to protect the investigation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has shared the information with Washington and other parts of the U.S. Bryan’s family remains optimistic.

“We want to see what type of tips we generate first. We don't want to blanket that area with misinformation. We want to verify that our tip from the Washington area is credible. Reliable. At that point, we will reach out to him. If we need to take a DNA sample from someone. We will reach out to that agency to do that for us,” Rich said.

Detective Harasym continues to work diligently on the case, hoping someone will come forward with information that leads to Bryan’s whereabouts.

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