A desperate search is underway in Barstow, California, for a 2-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters Thursday evening, authorities said.
Xavier Padilla Aguilera was traveling with his father, Brandon Padilla Aguilera, 26, when their vehicle was swept off a main road in Barstow, California, about 115 miles northeast of Los Angeles, by rushing flood waters around 7:14 p.m., according to Barstow Police.
A search was underway for a 2-year-old boy who was swept away by flood waters in the Barstow, Calif., area, on Sept. 19, 2025.
Ryan Marko
The father and son became separated from their vehicle as flood waters carried them northward, police said. Brandon was later rescued and taken to Barstow Community Hospital, where he was treated and released.
Xavier, who his family told ABC News station KABC-TV has autism and is nonverbal, was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt, and black and white Nike shoes.
The incident occurred during a day of severe weather that brought powerful thunderstorms to Southern California. In Oak Glen, dramatic video obtained by ABC News showed a massive mudslide cascading down a hillside, destroying everything in its path.
A search was underway for a 2-year-old boy who was swept away by flood waters in the Barstow, Calif., area, on Sept. 19, 2025.
Leanna Tackett
A massive multi-agency response was launched, including teams from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Police, California Highway Patrol, and San Bernardino County Fire’s Swift Water Rescue Team. Local volunteers from the Desert Recovery Group and community members joined the search effort, according to authorities.
“We have a bunch of volunteers out here who are still looking,” Xavier’s aunt, Leanna, told ABC News station KABC-TV. “If you guys can, if you live in the area, if you have bright lights… anything that can help us look through the dirt, the mud – anything to help us find him, we greatly appreciate it.”
Police suspended the official search until daylight Friday, according to KABC-TV.
Anyone with information about Xavier’s whereabouts is urged to contact local authorities immediately.
