Re: AJA DANIELLE JOHNSON - 7 yo (2010) - Geronimo/Davenport OK

by TomTerrific0420 on Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:21 pm

Oklahoma City - An attorney for the father of a missing 7-year-old girl
says his client violated a court order when he let the child visit her
mother while unsupervised.

Thirty-five-year-old Tonya Hobbs was found slain in Geronimo on Sunday,
and 7-year-old Aja Johnson has been missing since. Police believe she
was taken by Hobbs' estranged husband, 46-year-old Lester Hobbs. Hobbs
has been charged with killing his wife and kidnapping the girl.

A court order prohibited Tonya Hobbs from visiting Aja without
supervision and prohibited the child from being near Lester Hobbs.

Attorney John Branch tells the Associated Press that John J. Johnson
let Tonya Hobbs take Aja to a birthday party in Tuttle last Friday
because he believed she had ended her relationship with Hobbs.

by TomTerrific0420 on Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:30 am

None of the reported sightings of Aja Johnson, 7, and her alleged abductor, Lester Hobbs, have been substantiated, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown said Thursday. But Brown urged the public to continue to report any leads immediately.Hobbs, also wanted in connection with the slaying of Aja’s mother, Tonya Hobbs, is believed to have fled in Tonya Hobbs’ white 1992 Toyota Paseo.The two-door vehicle has the Oklahoma tag 577-BPW, no hubcaps, and a plastic cover over a rear passenger window."People need to understand they could literally be anywhere,” Brown
said. "So we’re asking people to continue to look for the vehicle, the
child, and Hobbs. Right now, we don’t even know if they’re still
together.”Hobbs may have changed tags, painted the car or stolen one, Brown said.
Anyone who spots Aja, the car or Lester Hobbs is asked to call 911.A $20,000 reward was posted Thursday for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of Hobbs. The reward is comprised of $10,000 from
the OSBI and $10,000 from the U.S. Marshals Service.Tonya Hobbs’ body was found Sunday in Lester Hobbs’ recreational
vehicle in Geronimo. She died from "traumatic injuries to the head,
neck and abdomen,” medical examiner’s office spokeswoman Cherokee
Ballard said."Lester Hobbs is a convicted felon, and now a fugitive,” Brown said.
"He may have decided to hole up with one of his convicted felon
buddies, and maybe they’re not willing to turn in their friend. Well,
maybe this money will entice them to call. We want Lester Hobbs.”

by admin on Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:39 am

OKLAHOMA CITY — Authorities in Oklahoma are trying to follow the trail of a murder suspect and a missing 7-year-old girl.
They say Lester Hobbs murdered his estranged wife Sunday and then vanished
with her young daughter, Aja Johnson. The woman was found beaten to
death in a motor home about 100 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
Officials say a car matching the description of a vehicle belonging to the slain woman may have been spotted in Oklahoma City.
Meanwhile, the missing girl's father has been issuing frantic appeals for his
daughter's safe return "no questions asked." Authorities in Oklahoma
say it is crucial to find Aja as quickly as possible.
Lester Hobbs was last seen driving his wife's 1992 Toyota Paseo with Oklahoma
license plates. The car has no hubcaps and has plastic covering the
rear passenger window.

by TomTerrific0420 on Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:28 pm

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Investigators have made some changes to the Amber alert about a missing girl from Oklahoma.Aja Johnson, 7, has been missing since last weekend after the discovery of her mother's body.The Amber alert has been canceled in Texas but will continue in Oklahoma. Officials said that Amber alerts are issued in hopes of finding a child in the first 48 to 72 hours after a disappearance. They said after the information has been broadcast, the alert has served its purpose.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said it's still looking for Johnson and Lester Hobbs, the man investigators think kidnapped her. They may be driving a white Toyota Paseo.There have been several reported sightings of that car, including surveillance video from a Lawton Walmart just before the discovery of Aja's mother's body.Aja's grandmother said the family is trying to hold out hope."I'm sad that this happened to my daughter," she said. "It's real nerve-wracking. I don't know where my granddaughter is."Aja Johnson and Lester Hobbs will be featured on "America's Most Wanted" on Saturday. There is a $20,000 reward available for information in the case.

by kygirl09 on Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:04 am

GERONIMO — Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley had assumed Amber Alerts were broadcast nationwide. This week’s search for Aja Johnson has taught the veteran lawman otherwise.
More Info

Anyone who spots Aja Johnson, Lester Hobbs or the suspect car should call 911 immediately. Anyone who has information can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children at (800) 843-5678. Aja is described as 4 feet tall and weighing about 59 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair with black on the tips. Lester Hobbs is about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 190 pounds. He should be considered armed and dangerous, authorities said. A $20,000 reward was posted Thursday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hobbs.

"I must admit I thought those Amber Alerts went out across the U.S.,” Stradley said. "Evidently, I was mistaken. That needs to change. When this is all over I will see what I can do about getting that changed. Right now, we need to find that little girl.”
Stradley requested the Amber Alert on Sunday night after the body of Aja’s slain mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found in the small town of Geronimo . Hobbs, 37, was found beaten to death inside the recreational vehicle of her estranged husband, Lester Hobbs.
The slaying was reported by Lester Hobbs’ sister, Mildred Anderson, at 9:42 p.m., according to a Comanche County court affidavit. County deputies and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents were called, and it was quickly deduced that 7-year-old Aja, Lester Hobbs and Tonya Hobbs’ white 1992 Toyota Paseo were missing.
It was determined the report met Amber Alert guidelines, and an alert was issued at midnight.
Based on an interview with Anderson, investigators learned that Lester and Tonya Hobbs and Aja were last seen at 7 p.m. Saturday after having dinner at Anderson’s trailer home on the same town lot as the RV.
Investigators realized the alleged abductor may have been on the run for as long as 29 hours.
"This is an odd situation in that Lester had a 24- to 29-hour jump on us,” said Jessica Brown, OSBI spokeswoman. "He certainly had enough time to travel far away from Oklahoma, if in fact, that’s what he did. We just don’t know. That’s why a national Amber Alert system is paramount.”
Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and Louisiana are generally cooperative about issuing Oklahoma’s Amber Alert requests, Brown said. Yet it appears only Texas issued an Amber Alert in Aja’s case, and the Texas alert was canceled on Friday.
"I understand the need for national guidelines,” Brown said.
"We have guidelines at the state level, and that’s fine. But I don’t see why a national system would be a problem. Only makes sense, right?”
In 2003, then-President George W. Bush signed the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act into law. The act codified the national coordination of state and local Amber Alert programs, but stopped short of establishing a national system. Each state chooses when to release an Amber Alert.
Local authorities say they have done everything to maximize resources in the search for Aja. Comanche County District Attorney Fred Smith filed first-degree murder and kidnapping charges against Lester Hobbs last week. He said he did so to use the services of the U.S. Marshal’s Office and the FBI in case if it became a multistate chase.
"Now if we have a sighting in, say, Montana, I don’t have to pull one of my guys from down here and send him up there,” Stradley said.
"I can call the U.S. Marshal’s regional office up there and get some assistance immediately.”
Stradley said he still understands the importance of Amber Alerts, which have proven successful since their creation in 1997. In 2008 — the most recent data available — 194 Amber Alerts were issued nationwide involving 256 children, according to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The center reported that 166 of those cases resulted in recovery; about half could be attributed directly to the issuance of Amber Alerts.
Eight of the children were dead when they were found.

by TomTerrific0420 on Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:38 pm

The weather has not distracted investigators from the ongoing search for a missing Texoma girl.
Authorities are still working all day, every day on finding Aja Johnson. Officials
say they are not ruling out the idea that she and Lester Hobbs are
still in the area and possibly hiding out in a house.
They are asking that the public check up on anyone, especially those in
rural areas. The white Toyota Paseo that Hobbs and Aja are or were in
is believed to be one of the most searched after cars in the country,
and it might very well be hidden somewhere, since someone should have
seen it by now.
A $20,000 reward has now been set for anyone who knows anything
about this incident. If you know anything. Please call 911.

by TomTerrific0420 on Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:08 pm

GERONIMO, OK -- Investigators are combing a murder scene in
Geronimo, searching for any sign of a missing 7-year-old girl. It's
been nearly two weeks since Aja Johnson's mother was found murdered
and, it appears investigators have no leads in the case.

Tonya Hobbs was found beaten to death Sunday, January 24th in a camper on
Lester Hobbs' property. Investigators believe Lester Hobbs killed Tonya
and kidnapped Aja, but there has been no sign of Hobbs or the child.
Investigators on the scene in Geronimo Wednesday say they wanted
a renewed interest in the case to help bring Aja home safely.

by TomTerrific0420 on Thu Feb 04, 2010 10:25 am

GERONIMO, Okla. — The U.S. Marshal’s Service has added its Sex Offender
Investigation Unit to the search for a missing 7-year-old girl and her
stepfather.

Authorities have been searching for 7-year-old Aja (AY’-zhuh) Johnson
and Lester Hobbs since Jan. 24 when Tonya Hobbs, 37, Lester Hobbs’
estranged wife and the mother of the girl, was found beaten to death in
a camper near Geronimo in southern Comanche County.

Law enforcement officers conducted a house-by-house search Wednesday
for the missing girl and planned to check every home in the area, said
Marc Crawford of the Sex Offender Investigation Unit.

An Amber Alert has been in effect since Jan. 24 for Johnson after her
mother was found dead. Hobbs, 46, was charged Jan. 26 in Comanche
County District Court with first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Crawford said that the Sex Offender Unit became involved in the
investigation after investigators received information that Hobbs could
be sexually abusing the child.

The Marshal’s Service moved its newest command center trailer to
Geronimo Sunday night. Crawford said the $1.3 million mobile command
post, housed in Oklahoma City, serves the service for the western
portion of the United States including Alaska and can be flown anywhere
it is needed.

“It’s one of the best pieces of equipment we have to track criminals and sex offenders,” Crawford said.

Crawford said the command center is able to link local law enforcement
with Internet to satellite television information hubs and information
can be sent and received almost instantly.

The case was mentioned briefly on Saturday’s episode of America’s Most
Wanted television show and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
was culling about 300 leads Wednesday, Jessica Brown, spokesperson,
said. She said the investigation has been a step behind since its
beginning due to the estimated 24-hour head start Hobbs had before the
Amber Alert was called.

by kygirl09 on Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:21 pm

GERONIMO, Okla. --

Authorities are ramping up their search for a registered sex offender who police believe abducted Aja Johnson, 7.
Aja has been missing for more than a week after her mother was slain in the town of Geronimo. Police have indicated that Lester Hobbs may be linked to the killing and the kidnapping.
The winter storm that hit the area slowed the search for Aja, but police said they think it may have also slowed Hobbs. They said they think he may have disguised himself and the girl.

Searchers Step Up Efforts For Missing Girl
Investigators said they're retracing their steps to the initial scene of the crime and hope to find fresh clues. They said bringing the case back into the spotlight is the best way to bring Aja home.
"We've gone back to square one and we're doing a lot of things to see if, by chance, we overlooked something," said Richard Goss of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
He said that none of the nearly 300 leads have panned out.
Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley went house-to-house on Thursday to show Aja's picture, asking people if they have seen the girl.
"It's what everybody is talking about," said resident Janie Bowles. "She needs to be found safe."
Authorities said they believe Aja is still alive and may be close by. They said they don't believe Hobbs has left the state.
Teams have also been looking in barns and vacant homes.
There is a $20,000 reward available for information leading to Hobbs' arrest. Police said they're looking for a white Toyota Paseo with a plastic covering over one of the windows. They asked anyone who has seen Hobbs or the vehicle to call 911.
"We do need people's help," Goss said. "We know that the storm came in and people's attention was down and now we need to come back again. I will say this again. Act like this is your daughter and keep looking."

0.7 miles
0.7 miles

by admin on Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:56 pm

GERONIMO, OK -- For the first time, the investigation and search for
missing girl, Aja Johnson, took the air on Friday. With the help of
Chopper 4, search crews were able to get a bird's eye view of the most
remote areas in the county.

An Amber Alert has been in effect since January 24 for 7-year-old Aja
Johnson. The alert was issued after her mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found
beaten to death in an RV in Geronimo.

Authorities believe Tonya's estranged husband 46-year-old Lester Hobbs took the little girl and killed Tonya.

Authorities are focused on finding the 1992 Toyota driven by Hobbs.

At the same time, on the ground, officers once again go door to door in Geronimo.

While the search again turned up empty, investigators aren't giving up hope.

"We're glad Channel 4 was here providing us with helicopter support. We
still hope we can get Hobbs found and get Aja back to her father," said
Marc Crawford.

Investigators are still offering a 20 thousand dollar reward for information that leads to an arrest.

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-news-chopper-4-aja-johnson-story,0,2640273.story?track=rss

by TomTerrific0420 on Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:03 pm

U.S.
Marshals are taking to the skies and combing every inch of Geronimo in
what is now the most intense search yet for missing seven-year-old, Aja
Johnson. They are going door to door asking questions, scouring
buildings, cellers. anything that could help find Aja.

Seven-year-old
Aja and her step-father Lester Hobbs have been missing since January
24th. The same day Aja's mother was found beaten to death in her camper
near Geronimo. A murder warrant has been issued for Hobb's.
If you have any information on Aja, Hobbs or where his 1992 Toyota Paseo with a license plate 577-BPW is, please call 911.
Richard
Boss of the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation said, "We don't have any
definitive information that Lester Hobbs might still be in the area of
Geronimo, Oklahoma, but on the contrary we don't have any definitive
information that has led us to believe he's outside of the area."

Officials say last week's ice storm hampered their search efforts, even
though investigators have worked around the clock since Tonya Hobbs was
killed. OSBI said they're following about 300 leads.

by TomTerrific0420 on Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:12 am

GERONIMO — The first time he got the question, U.S. Marshal Marc Crawford thought it was just a fluke."What are you doing here?” people asked him as he knocked on their
doors or ran into them at the restaurants where tactical team members
planned their work over lunch. Crawford began to realize a lot of
people hadn’t heard about the search for 7-year-old Aja Johnson.

In the midst of what may be the longest-standing Amber Alert in Oklahoma
history, hundreds of people near the scene where Aja was kidnapped and
her mother was slain still don’t know about it, Crawford said."I’ve lived here all my life, and this is one of the worst ice storms
I’ve ever seen,” he said. "There is just a great deal of damage, and
people don’t have electricity ... . When I tell them we are assisting
in an abduction/homicide, they don’t know what we are talking about.”Crawford’s Sex Offender Investigation Unit is continuing their search for Aja and her 46-year-old stepfather, Lester Hobbs.The two have been sought since Jan. 24, when Hobbs’ estranged wife and Aja’s mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found beaten to death in Geronimo inside Lester Hobbs’ recreational vehicle. Lester Hobbs has been charged in Comanche County with kidnapping Aja and with murder in connection with Tonya Hobbs’ death.Funeral services for Tonya Hobbs are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hillcrest Family Worship Center in Oklahoma City. Nearly two weeks after her body was found, there have been no confirmed sightings of her little girl, her husband or her car.The last time Lester Hobbs was on the run from the law, Crawford said, authorities tracked him down in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area. This time they are following leads from coast to coast and trying to make sure they haven’t missed anything.For Crawford, that means looking in vacant homes and barns, searching under bridges and flying a 10-mile radius around town.Gene Thaxton,
chairman of the Oklahoma Amber Alert committee, said the Amber Alert
system was implemented to work in the hours and days after an
abduction, but Aja’s alert remains active."This is the longest one we’ve had in Oklahoma with no resolution,” he
said. "But we are going to leave it up as an active Amber Alert because
the child has still not been found.”Tonya Hobbs’ mother, Alice Dunkin
of Oklahoma City, said last week she had little reason to believe her
granddaughter was still alive. But Crawford said he doesn’t share that
belief."We still firmly believe she’s alive and it’s urgent we get to her,”
Crawford said of the missing girl. "We’re not going to let this little
girl’s story go untold. We really believe it’s going to be the media
that gets her found for us by keeping the word out there. We’ve just
got to keep that light on for her and get her back here safely.”

by admin on Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:47 am

TomTerrific0420 wrote:. "We’re not going to let this little
girl’s story go untold. We really believe it’s going to be the media
that gets her found for us by keeping the word out there. We’ve just
got to keep that light on for her and get her back here safely.”

This is incredibly sad. I fear the worst, but am hoping for the best, however, it doesn't look good.

by TomTerrific0420 on Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:20 am

PIEDMONT, OK -- It's been almost three weeks since the search for
seven-year-old Aja Johnson began. The amber alert for the little girl
was issued after her mother was found beaten to death in an RV in
Geronimo. Aja's mother, 37-year-old Tonya Hobbs was laid to rest
Tuesday.

Aja's father, Tonya's ex-husband was a pallbearer and says, "Her soul
isn't quite rested yet because this hasn't been resolved." J.J. Says
Tonya Hobbs took Aja for the weekend, but left him with a promise.

He says, "I believe she's still going to try to fulfill the promise
that she made when she left here that day. She was going to bring my
daughter back safely. She promised me that."

Authorities have finished their door to door search in Geronimo for Lester Hobbs.

Lester is Tonya's estranged husband.

He is charged with Tonya's murder and Aja's kidnapping.

Marc Crawford with the U.S. Marshals Service says of the search, "It
was productive as far as letting us know where he's not, and that gave
us a better feel for the investigation."

Investigators continue to follow up on tips from the public and
Crawford says, "Every lead that comes in is new hope and a new
inspiration in the investigation."

If you have any information about the location of Aja Johnson, Lester
Hobbs, or the white 1992 Toyota Paseo they are believed to be in please
call 1-800 THE LOST.

by TomTerrific0420 on Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:46 pm

LAWTON, Okla. -- Investigators with
the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said they continue to be
baffled by the disappearance of an Oklahoma girl after her mother was
killed.Authorities have been looking for Aja Johnson since Jan. 25. Her mother was found dead in the family's home in Geronimo.Police
have said they believe Johnson's mother's estranged husband, Lester
Hobbs, beat her to death and abducted Aja. Winter weather in Oklahoma
slowed the search in the days following the disappearance.Officials said they have never seen two people and a car disappear so completely.Aja
Johnson suffers from bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder and sleeping issues that require medication. The last time
she's known to have had her medication is Jan. 22.