OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — A military family once stationed near Camp Pendleton is searching for their baby, who was kidnapped over four decades ago. The FBI and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children announced new efforts in the search for Kevin Art Verville Jr., who would be turning 45 this weekend.
For 45 years, the Verville family has wondered what happened to baby Kevin, who was just 17 days old when he was kidnapped from Camp Pendleton military housing in July 1980.
"I never got to meet my brother," said Angelica Ramsey, Kevin's younger sister, who was born five years after his kidnapping. "I got to miss out on being a little sister. I ended up becoming the big sister."
On Tuesday, the FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children announced new efforts in the case, sharing an age progression image of what Kevin might look like now. They also released a reenactment video of the kidnapping.
Officials say a woman posing as a social worker tricked Kevin's parents by offering services for young, low-income military families. The woman called herself Sheila, and the baby's parents agreed to accept the help.
Baby Kevin and his mother, Angelina, got into Sheila's car when she told them they had to pick up another mom. Angelina was asked to go knock on the door to get the other mom, and when she did, Sheila sped off with the baby inside.
"We were both not from cities like this, so we put too much trust in people at the time," said Kevin Verville Sr., now 66, who hopes his son is still out there.
"It changed our lives, it changed the way we think, it changed the way we talk, it changed the way we do everything," Verville Sr. said.
Authorities believe Sheila, depicted in a sketch from the original investigation, stole the baby to raise as her own.
Kevin's mother is still alive but is experiencing health problems. His sister hopes their parents will find and reconnect with their son before it's too late.
"I think it would be devastating if either of them passed before we found him," Ramsey said.
Investigators say 'Sheila' had red or fuzzy blond hair and had a tattoo on her left hand in the webbing between her thumb and index finger. It was described as a circle with an ‘X’ inside. “Sheila” also appeared pregnant.
Authorities think Kevin Jr. could be anywhere and say no tip about the case is too small.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324, or visit tips.fbi gov.
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