New Leads in Four States Breathe Life into 2006 Fort Myers Baby Kidnapping Case

After sharing an updated photo of Bryan Dos Santos Gomes, police received tips from across Florida, Michigan, Texas, and Louisiana. The photo shows what the kidnapped infant might look like at age 18.

"Someone has that thread to this case that we're looking for," said Mike Iarossi, cold case detective with the Fort Myers Police Department, to Fox 4 News.

Scientists ran tests on genetic material from a Louisiana teen who matched the photo. A high school teacher noticed a student who bore striking similarities to the computer-generated image from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

In December 2006, a stranger asked Bryan's mom, Maria, for directions, then Maria was taken at knifepoint. Bryan was just eight weeks old.

The suspect made a call using a borrowed phone. When agents traced it, the signal pointed to a storage shed between two businesses. The woman claimed to be from Tampa with an infant named Jose Guadalupe, matching records of someone near the shed.

"We still think Bryan Dos Santos lives," Iarossi stated firmly. "Each new clue counts."

The new image reveals how time might have shaped his features over 18 years.

If you know anything about what happened to Bryan, call the Fort Myers Police Department or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.