Missing Athena Brownfield: Two people arrested in connection with disappearance of 4-year-old

Athena Brownfield, right, has been missing since January 6, according to police. She is shown with her older sister Adina, who was found wandering around outside the home the girls had been living in. Photo / Facebook

Two people have now been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Athena Brownfield, a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl whose 5-year-old sister was discovered wandering alone outside by a postal worker, state investigators said Friday.

Arizona authorities arrested 36-year-old Ivon Adams on Thursday, and he is being held in the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix pending extradition to Oklahoma on one count of first-degree murder and one count of child neglect, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

Authorities earlier arrested Alysia Adams, 31, on two counts of child neglect, the bureau said in a statement late Thursday. Alysia Adams, who the OSBI said is married to Ivon Adams, remained jailed in Oklahoma’s Caddo County on Friday.

The bureau released no further details about the arrests. It was not known if either Adams had an attorney to comment on their behalf. A bureau spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.

The arrests are related to the search for Athena, who was reported missing Tuesday in Cyril, about 110km southwest of Oklahoma City, the bureau said.

Alysia and her estranged husband Ivon have been arrested on child neglect charges. They share four children together. Photo / via Facebook

Athena's caregvier, Alysia Adams, seen here with her new boyfriend, Blayden Davis. Photo / Instagram

The postal carrier found Athena’s sister wandering alone outside Alysia Adams’ home on Monday afternoon and alerted Cyril police. Authorities then determined that Athena was missing.

The girls had been in the care of Adams and her husband, and Athena’s sister was taken into protective custody, the bureau said Wednesday. Authorities said they believe Athena was wearing a hoodie with a butterfly design when she disappeared.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers search a pond near Cyril, Okla, on Wednesday, Jan. 11 for Athena Brownfield, a 4-year-old girl missing since Tuesday, Jan, 10. Photo / AP

The bureau said it was working with other law enforcement agencies and volunteers in the search, which included a helicopter, boats, all-terrain vehicles, a specially trained ground team, and a review of surveillance video from around Cyril. The city of Cyril has also suspended trash service as investigators search for clues.

The bureau said agents were following up on tips coming from Oklahoma and other states.