Cummings family believes pedophile cousin may have taken Haleigh

February 20, 8:08 PMCrime ExaminerCindy Adams

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Portrait of Haleigh Cummings at vigil held Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, in Satsuma, Fla. (AP/Reinhold Matay)

Authorities are questioning a cousin of Misty Croslin, who is from Tennessee and was visiting the area when Haleigh disap- peared on Feb. 10.  Croslin is the 17-year-old live-in girlfriend of Haleigh’s father. 

Croslin claims to have been at home asleep with Haleigh and her younger brother at the time Haleigh disappeared, while Cummings, 25, was at work.

Haleigh’s paternal grandmother, Teresa Neves said, “What we’ve been told is that he’s a sexual pedophile.  She also said that Croslin described her cousin Joe as a “jerk.”

“I couldn’t tell you anything about him,” continued Neves.  “I can’t tell you how they could have taken her from a family that absolutely adores her.”

On Sunday afternoon, a man with a little girl resembling Haleigh Cummings was seen outside a Carrabba's restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Highway Patrol canvassed the area, but found nothing.

Witnesses said they saw a white male shielding his face as he walked with a little girl who looked like Haleigh.  The two entered a red Toyota RAV4 with Florida license plates and drove away.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol did not locate the vehicle, but gave the information gathered to Florida authorities.

Haleigh has blond hair and brown eyes and is 3 feet tall.  Please call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 if you have any information regarding Haleigh Cummings.