RUSKIN, Fla. — UPDATE: A Florida Missing Child Alert was cancelled Friday night for four missing kids, including an infant, out of Ruskin.
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A Florida Missing Child Alert has been issued for four kids from Hillsborough County who haven’t been seen since Monday.
Authorities say 4-month-old Malaysia Penny, 9-year-old Jerome Penny Jr, 11-year-old Egypt Penny and 12-year-old Justyce Cepeda-Penny were last seen on June 23 in the area of Editors Note Street in Ruskin.
The children may be with Erica Cepeda and Jerome Penny, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Erica is described as being 5-foot-5 and 100 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She may also have a script tattoo on her neck, a tattoo of a Chinese symbol on her right arm and a rainbow stud piercing on her left eyebrow.
Jerome is described as 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities say he has scars on his right hand and a tattoo that says “respect” on his right arm.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that this case is over custody, and that the parents aren’t communicating with the Department of Children and Families.
If you see them, you should not approach them and instead contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200 or call 911.
Daniel Carter is a senior staff writer at InspireChronicle, specializing in legal conflicts, family disputes, and real-life justice stories. His work focuses on high-stakes situations involving inheritance, betrayal, and complex moral decisions. Through detailed storytelling, he explores how ordinary people navigate extraordinary challenges and the long-term consequences that follow.
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