591, what's the location of your emergency? >> Yes, ma'am. There's a child ped with two kids in his truck. One's a runaway. And he's our neighborhood child and there's two missing kids that run away from out there and he's got two teenage boys in the back of his truck. >> It was an unusual New Year's Eve in Florida. While most people were preparing to celebrate, something far darker refused to lie low. Instead, it was already on the move, driving toward what was meant to be the final destination for an unlucky youngster. >> Signal four, signal four, signal four. >> Just before 7:00 a.m. on the last day of December 2025, a frantic caller set off alarms at Flagler County Dispatch with a report that didn't sit right from the jump. What already sounded unsettling quickly took a darker turn. It came in as a hunch, but it was more than that. It was the last line of defense for a youngster who could not defend himself. He was caught in the middle of a poorly disguised scheme which was clumsy on the surface, but hiding intentions that were anything but holy. >> 591, what's the location of your emergency? >> Yes, ma'am. There's a child ped with two kids in his truck. One's a runaway. >> Where are you at, sir? >> He's coming down US1. His name's Darnell. He's in a four-door white Ford with a camper topper on the back. And he knows it's me. >> And how do you know this person? >> Um he's our neighborhood child pa- and there's two missing kids that run away from out there and he's got two teenage boys in the back of his truck. >> Okay. Can you see the tag on his vehicle by chance? >> Nope, it's all muddy as hell. >> Okay. All right. And you said it's a white four-door Ford with a camper >> Ford. Yep, it's all muddy with a camper topper on it. Yep. >> Okay. Do you know his name? >> Darnell. >> Do you know his last name? >> I can't think of it right off hand. >> Where does he live, do you know? >> He lives on Harold Street, Flagler State. >> Can you give me a description of the juveniles that you saw in the truck? >> I can't even think of his name. Uh I can't even think of his name. >> Okay. >> But he's headed to Daytona. This is what he does. He damn kids. He these troubled kids, he takes them, gets them drugs. And then he'll take them I'll take them here and take them over here. He's like a big trafficker or some [ __ ] I don't know what he does, but I know he's a child mol- >> Okay. >> And I know there's missing kids out there and I know a lot of the kids go over there. I know he's under investigation with the Federal Bureau right now. Um yeah. But he's got two kids in his truck right now. >> Okay. >> Teenagers. >> Just tell me if he's >> the boy's name No, it ain't Dolan. I God damn it, I can't think of the boy's name. >> And you think the boys that are in the in the truck have actually been reported missing? >> Yes, I know the one has. >> Okay. In St. Johns County? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Well, they need to come home. I ain't got I got I'm running out of gas. I got 40 miles left. I need steady headed to Daytona. >> Okay. We're giving him updates as far as if you if you let me know if it turns off. You don't have to continue following. >> Oh, no. I'm following until I see a cop pull his ass over cuz he's got two kids in this car. Cuz if a cop don't pull him over, I'm going to pull him over and it ain't going to be pretty. >> The call immediately threw deputies into high alert. They knew time was of the essence and they weren't dealing with a rookie. The caller made it clear this suspect was already on the FBI's radar. Within minutes an officer spotted the vehicle and executed a well-disguised traffic stop. But that was not the end of it. Not even close. Instead, it marked the beginning of a wild rapid-fire encounter. >> 10-26 >> Signal 11 key showing out of service. >> The traffic stop started smoothly, at least on paper. The officer kept the suspect occupied just long enough for backup to close in. But the arrival of more units said everything without a single word. Already on edge, Donnell read the scene for what it was. The moment the game veered out of his control. And as many cornered men, he had made the worst possible move when the plan started collapsing. >> I got a key. I got >> You can hold it. >> Okay. Turn around. Put your hands on your back. 240 flag right there. 240 flag right there. I got one running. He's 840 >> Advise the 214 the teenager just took off in the white truck. >> Give me your hands. >> How's he doing? >> Where are your hands? >> 2000 feet away. >> Please cooperate. I will cooperate. >> I think the truck is joint visual. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> 714 10. >> I can't do that with that. >> 714 10. >> I can't. I can't. >> Stop. Put your head on the ground. >> They told me to give you You got my hands. >> Yes, I got your hands cuz you grabbed my >> No, I did not. I can't say >> DOT DOT >> All right. >> Southbound Southbound towards oil palms. Ready? >> Yeah. >> Get your Don't do anything stupid. >> I'm I'm not. I'm not. He's got my truck. He just got my truck. >> Good. >> Can I get Can y'all help me? >> Roll over. >> Can I get up? I got to piss. I got to really piss. >> Hey, aggravated assault. LAO >> Let me get up. Okay. >> No, no, no, no, no. We got LAO >> The guy that's driving the truck. >> Southbound Southbound >> He didn't [ __ ] >> between Roll Over. >> Whoever was in your [ __ ] car, you >> I'm trying to get up. >> Shut up. >> Okay, I am. I am not fighting now. >> Stop. >> I'm not fighting now. Help me up. Help me up. >> The situation had taken a sharp and unexpected turn. While officers had the primary suspect detained, who was later identified as 60-year-old Donnell Hairston, a registered predator, right there in their presence, the situation had evolved into yet another twist. His vehicle was gone, slipping out of the equation and leaving behind them more questions than answers. Was he acting alone? Was there someone else involved? Was he simply a piece of something bigger and larger, something coordinated and still unfolding? At that point, no one had clear answers, only a growing sense of urgency. >> Signal four, signal four, signal four. You good? Take a seat. Take a seat. Vehicles are upside down in the wood line. Change your office. LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS. LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS. LAY OFF. LAY OFF. LAY OFF. SPREAD OUT ON THE FLOOR. SPREAD OUT ON THE FLOOR. >> GUN SHOTS. >> Who else is in the car? >> It's just >> Who else is in the car? >> Me. >> Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger. >> Stand up. Come to me now. Turn around. Turn around. >> Yo, you put me in here. >> Turn around. Look, get down on your face. Get on >> Get on your face. Get down on your face. >> You got to go. >> Get on your face. >> years. >> You only face 2 years now. >> Behind your back. Do not move. Do not reach. DO NOT MOVE. DO NOT attempt to move. >> Who else is in the car? >> Nobody. All right. What about the other two? >> Get up. Are you good? >> Yes, sir. I don't know what's going on with you. >> All right. >> It's my first time doing this. >> I just want to make sure you're good. That's my biggest concern. I need to go to a hospital. Is there anybody in the car? >> No, sir. >> In the end, it was a crash that finally brought the nightmare to a halt, closing out what investigators later confirmed had been a 3-day ordeal for an 11-year-old boy. What initially looked like a chaotic, isolated encounter quickly unraveled into something far more calculated. Detectives determined that Donnell Hearston had not acted alone. At the center of it all was a 15-year-old accomplice, Junior Bishop, the same teenager who had screamed at officers and driven the vehicle away from the initial traffic stop, buying time for a plan that was already falling apart. As the layers peeled back, the truth got darker. Cell phone records revealed Bishop had been in active contact with both Hearston and the young victim in the days leading up to the incident, helping lure the youngster straight into the trap. According to investigators, the two had allegedly cooked up the plan together, believing that the child had information that could send Hearston to prison. What followed was not random. It was targeted. The victim later told authorities that both Bishop and Hearston terrorized him together at a remote, wooded campsite. Once the boy was rescued, a full-scale, multi-agency investigation kicked into gear, with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office working alongside St. Johns County deputies to verify every single detail of the child's account. And disturbingly, the evidence lined up almost perfectly. At At campsite, investigators recovered extension cords, shoelaces, and duct tape matching exactly what the boy said had been used to restrain him. Inside Hairston's white Ford F-150, deputies found a blanket on the floorboard where the child had been forced to hide during transport. A search of Hairston's residence uncovered surveillance equipment and weapons, including a knife and a firearm consistent with the threats that the boy described after regaining consciousness. The digital trail filled in the gaps. A Snapchat group chat revealed that the boy had previously warned others that Hairston was dangerous. While a deeper analysis of Bishop's phone showed ongoing communication between the two suspects leading up to the Deputies noted visible injuries on the youngster, including marks consistent with being choked, and his behavior told the rest of the story. He was terrified. Despite being instructed to lie about his identity, the boy broke down and begged officers for help, convinced he wouldn't survive the day. When it came time to answer questions, Hairston had none. During interrogation, his story completely fell apart. He knew the child had been reported missing, yet couldn't explain why he was with him or why he had been keeping him hidden. By April 2026, the weight of the evidence, DNA, fingerprints from the campsite, and digital communications was enough for prosecutors to escalate the case. Junior Bishop was formally charged as a co-conspirator and said to be tried as an adult. What started as a single call that didn't sit right had exposed something far more disturbing. A calculated setup, a betrayal from someone who the victim knew, and a situation that could have ended far worse if that call had just come a little too late. This video reflects information available at the time of production. While every effort was made to ensure accuracy, some details may have been limited, evolving, or subject to change as new developments emerged.