Lonna Barton tells detectives Lonzie may have accidentally overdosed

State attorney releases evidence in the case against Ruben Ebron

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In an interview with detectives just after 21-month-old Lonzie Barton was reported missing in July, the toddler's mother, Lonna Barton, suggested her son may have accidentally overdosed while in the care of her boyfriend, Ruben Ebron.

Video of that interview was just one of dozens of files released Friday by the State Attorney's Office in the case against Ebron, the prime suspect in the disappearance of the boy in July.

Detective: "What do you think really happened?"
Lonna Barton: "I think he wasn't watching him well and something happened to him and I think maybe he got a hold of something out of his dresser or out of his drawer or off the floor … something … and maybe you know, accidentally overdosed or something and he freaked out and came up with something quick to make it look like something else."

VIDEO: Lonna Barton's interview to detectives

It has been almost four months since Ebron reported Lonzie missing and what happened to the toddler remains a mystery. Among the material released Friday was the the original 911 call Ebron made to police, claiming his car was stolen with Lonzie inside.

In the recording, Ebron initially only reported that his car was stolen. He did not mention there was a child in the car until he describes the car twice, and once he does, he claims the boy as his own child. 

911: "Jacksonville 911"
Ebron: "Yes, I want to report a car stolen, a '95 Honda Civic."
911: "Do you know who stole it?"
Ebron: "No I don't. A '95 Honda Civic, somebody just took off."
911: "OK, hold on one second, let me make sure it wasn't towed or anything, all right?"
Ebron: "My kid is in the back, still in the back of the car."
911: "Your what?"
Ebron: "My kid is in the back of the car."
911: "Okay. What color is it?"
Ebron: "Bright orange, you can't miss it. '95 Honda Civic."

Ebron's voice is extremely calm in the recording and can be heard talking to someone in the background, telling them to catch a ride.

LISTEN: Ruben Ebron's first 911 call to police

According to a previously released document, Ebron told officers that Lonzie "had injuries to his head and that the child began to eat little or not at all." He added that, "the child had thrush and was bleeding in his mouth. The blood was being deposited in the child's bottle."

Ebron said he and Lonna Barton agreed that something was wrong with Lonzie, but they didn't seek medical attention.

When investigators spoke with Lonna Barton after Lonzie's disappearance, they showed her pictures of the boy she calls "Babyman," including photos of blood on Lonzie's shirt and then blood on a white sheet on the floor of Ebron's apartment.

Lonna Barton broke down looking at the photos and detectives asked her about Lonzie's head injury.

"What did he do to him?" she asked the detectives.

Ruben Ebron and Lonna Barton make court appearance

At another point in an interview with detectives, Barton called Ebrton a coward. 

"He could have f****** called me to come home and get my baby if he was getting on his f****** nerves," Barton said. "There's a lot of things he could have done to keep my baby from getting hurt, period. Could have called my mom. She would have come."

Lonna Barton and her mother met with detectives in another interview. 

Mother to Lonna Barton: "If I ever see you with a black man again I'll disown you. You understand me?"
Barton "Yeah I understand."
Mother: "You stick to your own."
Barton: "If you think I hurt my kid..."
Mother: "I don't think that."
Barton: "Why are you looking at me like that if I thought he'd hurt my kid I wouldn't have f****** left him with him."
Mother: "I'm hurt too."
Barton: "You're looking at me like I'd done something wrong. I didn't do anything wrong."

When Lonna Barton was arrested, her arrest report said she and Ebron had gotten into an argument when she found a bruise on the back of the boy's head. That was the day before Lonzie was reported missing. It claimed she saw yellow fluid coming from the boy's ears and that he was throwing up and was lethargic.

Judge Mark Borello ruled that Ebron and Lonna Barton will be tried at the same time, but would have separate juries.

The joint trial for Ebron and Barton is scheduled to start Dec. 7.


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