Amber Alert issued for missing Smithfield boy

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — State authorities issued an Amber Alert Sunday afternoon after a child disappeared from a Smithfield flea market.

Three-year-old Siraj Munir Davenport, also known as Roji, is approximately 3 feet tall and weighs 35 pounds. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes.

Roji was last seen Sunday at the Brightleaf Flea Market on U.S. Highway 301 South in Smithfield, wearing a light blue T-shirt with a yellow truck on the front, dark blue sweat pants and Adidas tennis shoes.

The boy's mother told police she was loading produce into her car and that when she looked down, the child was gone.

Police shut down the flea market and searched customers' cars. Sheriff's deputies also searched the Neuse River by boat for the boy and conducted an extensive ground search.

The ground search was called off about 6 p.m. Sunday evening because of bad weather but was expected to resume Monday morning.

Teachers from Roji's pre-school also gathered to search for him. They said he is a well-behaved child and that it is not like him to wander off.

“Roji is a happy, sweet polite, fun-loving little boy," teacher Susan Barbour said. "He had the cutest smile. He is unforgettable, and that's why he's stuck in our hearts. That's why we're here wanting to help. He's a special little boy."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also assisting in the search.

Anyone with information about Roji's whereabouts should contact the Johnston County Emergency Services at 919-934-9411, call 911 or the state Highway Patrol at *HP on their cellular phones.