Police remove evidence from apartment where missing Corona boy lived

Evidence was removed from the Corona apartment where a missing 8-year-old boy lived, but police did not give an indication Tuesday morning what the item was before it was loaded onto a police truck.

Sgt. Chad Fountain confirmed detectives “were back at the suspect’s apartment last night looking for further evidence on Noah’s whereabouts,” but didn’t give any indication on what was found Monday night.

Noah’s parents, Bryce Daniel McIntosh, 32, and Jillian Marie Godfrey, 36, both of Corona, were arrested Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of their son, and both were charged Friday with felony child endangerment. The pair made a joint initial court appearance Friday afternoon.

“Our detectives have worked continuously over the past week to ensure we thoroughly investigate all information received. Detectives are currently following up on all evidence,” he said Tuesday morning in an email.

The item taken from the apartment Monday night on the 4500 block of Temescal Canyon Road is described as large and apparently heavy, wrapped in a blue tarp, NBC4 said.

Police also called in a plumber with camera equipment but did not disclose the reason or what they searched for, ABC7 reported. An update on the case was expected Tuesday.

Noah McIntosh was last seen just over two weeks ago at the Temescal Canyon Road apartment where he lived with his father, police said.

“Our department’s top concern is finding information on Noah’s whereabouts,” Fountain continued. “We ask if you saw Noah, or Bryce McIntosh and Jillian Godfrey between February 20th and March 12th, please call Senior Detective Mario Hernandez at 951-279-3659.”

Noah’s grandfather, Doug Godfrey, said Friday that he believes his 8-year-old grandson who once lived with him in Anaheim is dead.

“This is a dream you would like to wake up from, but you can’t. We’re simply devastated by this,” Doug Godfrey said Friday.

Godfrey, who is Jillian Godfrey’s father, said he and his wife raised Noah and his 11-year-old sister for eight years. Bryce McIntosh eventually persuaded Jillian to move from to Anaheim to Corona, Doug Godfrey said.

McIntosh then “wrestled control” of the children from his daughter, Doug Godfrey said.

Doug Godfrey said he had been worried about McIntosh, calling him a “violent man” and adding that he worried the 32-year-old would kill the whole family.”

The grandfather said he called Riverside County Child Protective Services about a year ago, fearing that Noah was being abused, but caseworkers determined that there was no cause to take the boy away.  Agency spokesman Gene Kennedy said Friday that he could not comment because of privacy regulations.

The search for Noah was prompted by a call from Jillian Godfrey on March 5.

Investigators went to McIntosh’s unit at the Encanto Apartments in the 4500 block of Temescal Canyon, according to Fountain and despite “numerous attempts” to make contact with the boy’s father, he refused to speak with police.

The following day, officers served a search warrant at the home and found McIntosh inside the apartment with his 11-year-old daughter, but there was no sign of Noah, police said.

Based on the initial investigation, detectives determined there was sufficient evidence to justify arresting the parents on suspicion of child abuse, Fountain said.

Noah’s parents are scheduled to be arraigned April 8 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Both are being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside — McIntosh on $1 million bail and Godfrey on $500,000 bail.

The Corona Police Department, the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office have all been involved in the search for Noah, Fountain said.

Authorities ask anyone with information about this case or Noah’s whereabouts was asked to call Senior Detective Mario Hernandez at 951-279-3659 or email him at Mario.Hernandez@CoronaCA.gov.