Search continues for two missing Manatee County toddlers

MANATEE -- The Manatee County Sheriff's Office continued seeking two missing toddlers Saturday without any break in the case.

The sheriff's office issued an alert Friday to all law enforcement agencies in the United States to be on the lookout for two missing children who might be endangered.

Child Protection Services workers went Thursday to check on 2-year-old Devon Whitley and 1-year-old Paisley Whitley at a residence in the 500 block of 77th Street East, Palmetto, but were told by the father, David Wayne Whitley, they were with the mother out of state.

Repeated attempts to verify the information have been unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.

"We're continuing to try to locate Devon and Paisley," Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dave Bristow said Saturday. "We encourage anyone with information on their whereabouts to call the Sheriff's Office at 941-747-3011."

The mother is Amanda Gates, according to the release.

Bristow would not divulge the nature of the CPS visit, but said the father told deputies their mother took the children to Illinois. On Friday, the sheriff's office was unable to reach either parent to confirm the children were alright, Bristow said.

At 1:06 a.m. Sept. 14, Whitley was arrested on a domestic battery charge in the 2900 block of Moccasin Wallow Road after he punched Gates between the eyes several times, according to the sheriff's office. Whitley was released the same day from Manatee County jail on $500 bond, according to the sheriff's office website.

An arrest report states Whitley and Gates have been living together for more than four years. Deputies reported the couple's argument stemmed from Gates wanting to move back to Illinois with the children. According to Gates, Whitley then punched her.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Search continues for two missing Manatee County toddlers ."