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Amber Alert canceled, Ashtabula Co. child found

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A missing toddler who prompted an Amber Alert in Northeast Ohio Monday night has been found with his mother, police say. 

Authorities said a Pierpont homeowner called police overnight, saying he found the mother, 23-year-old Chasity Cass, and the baby, 14-month-old Ayden Barnard, in his basement after hearing a disturbance.

Both were said to be in good condition. They were being transported to a hospital in Conneaut for evaluation. 

The car connected to the Amber Alert case was located 14 miles from where the toddler was last seen overnight but Ayden and Cass were no where to be found at the time.

The Amber Alert was issued Monday night in Conneaut for the toddler who was in the legal custody of children's services.

Ayden was believed to be with his mother and uncle, Shawn Barnard.

Following a tip, deputies searched an area in Pierpont and found the car involved in the abduction, but no one was inside. 

Barnard is a previous meth manufacturer and is accused of manufacturing the drug around Ayden. Ayden's mother has family in Atoka, Okla. and authorities were worried she was heading west. 

According to the toddler's grandmother, Cass lost custody of her son due to drug-related incidents. 

The child's father is in prison, according to police. Police are still searching for Barnard.

No charges have been filed.

Police continue to investigate the case.

The Center For Missing and Exploited Children reports that more than 200,000 children are abducted by relatives every year.

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