An Amber Alert was issued for 2 year old Jozlynn Mari Martinez from Grand Rapids, Michigan after she was reported missing from her home on Tuesday morning. She was last seen by her mother, Consuela Martinez, 21, when she was tucked in to bed around 11 pm Monday night. When Consuela woke the next morning about 9 am she found her daughter gone.

Consuela’s boyfriend, Jeffrey Lynn Malmberg, whom she had been with for about 1 ½ years, was gone too but she thought maybe he had went out with Jozlynn as he apparently had done so before. She started getting suspicious when she noticed that Malmberg had left the house key and the doors downstairs unlocked. She said she waited a few hours until she found that money she had received from her income tax return, $2800 was missing from her purse. She was really concerned then and decided to call the police.

“Yeah, I think they were running errands and everything because they do that a lot and all of a sudden they never came home,” said Martinez. “You would never expect someone to come in your home and take your child.”

Malmberg was arrested by Lansing police on Wednesday evening but Jozlynn wasn’t with him. Malmberg is reported to be cooperating with the investigators but he denies being involved with the disappearance of the little girl. Police are investigating now of where Malmberg has said he has been since Monday.

Grand Rapids Police Sgt. Mark Mathis was at the apartment when they were informed that Malmberg was arrested and being transported back to Grand Rapids. “We’re still checking some other things to see if perhaps he dropped the child off or if the child is somewhere else,” said Mathis.

Martinez said she had felt some relief when police informed her that Malmberg was in their custody but that changed completely when they told her that her daughter wasn’t with him when he was found. “He would normally never trust anyone with Jozlynn,” said Martinez.

“I don’t know where she is, who she is with,” Martinez said. “… I’m scared.” She is hoping that with Malmberg’s arrest, it will lead detectives to her daughter. “Anybody could have gotten to her and hurt her. I hope she knows that I love her,” said Martinez.

Jozlynn is described as 2 years old, Hispanic, about 2 ft 9 in. tall and she weighs 22 lbs. She has brown eyes and brown hair and she has a scab on her chin. She also has a spot on the right side of her head where the hair isn’t growing. She also walks with her toes pointed inward.

I pray they find little Jozlynn unharmed and she is returned home with her mother and little brother. Why, oh why do the little ones always have to suffer like this? I pray for an answer to this growing problem.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3604 or dial 911

Jan Barrett