Ga. Mom Whose Toddler Was Found Wandering in Fla. Might Have Met Man Online Before Vanishing: Dad

Leila Cavett's father told a local news station he is worried she may have been abducted

Leila Cavett
Leila Cavett and her son, Kamdyn. Photo: Miramar Police Department/Facebook

As the search continues for a mother declared missing when authorities found her toddler son wandering alone in a South Florida parking lot in July, the woman's father is speaking out, saying he believes his daughter may have been on her way to meet a man.

In an interview with WTVJ, Leila Cavett's father, Curtis Cavett, said he has reviewed all of her social media accounts and thinks she made plans to visit a man she met through an online dating website.

"It's on her Facebook," Cavett says. "I have to meet with detectives tomorrow so we can see if we can go into her messages on her Facebook."

The young mother, 21, is from Alabama, but was living with relatives in Georgia at the time she vanished.

The search for Cavett began on July 26, the day her 2-year-old son, Kamdyn Cavett Arnold, was spotted in Miramar, walking around barefoot and wearing just a T-shirt and a diaper.

Police recovered Cavett's white Chevy pickup truck days later from a Walmart parking lot close to where Miramar borders Hollywood.

Curtis Cavett told WTVJ he is assisting police in their investigation, following all leads about his daughter's disappearance.

He said he worries she may have been abducted.

He questioned how his grandson and truck were dropped off in separate locations. He also had a message for his daughter, who he hopes is still alive.

"I want to let her know, 'Listen, I love you. I'm here on the ground, me and my team is here searching for you,'" Curtis Cavett said. "We're not gonna stop until we get some answers or justice. We want people to be vigilant of their surroundings."

At the moment, Kamdyn Cavett remains in protective custody.

The man who says he's the boy's father, 35-year-old Daniel Lee West, is now seeking custody of the child while the search for Cavett continues.

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"I just want Leila and Kamdyn safe," West told the Miami Herald. "Leila is a great mom. [She] would do anything for our son."

He said the Florida Department of Children and Families is requiring him to prove his paternity.

Anyone who may have any information on Leila Cavett's whereabout is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.

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