Search underway for missing toddler swept away during California flooding from Tropical Storm Mario remnants
Barstow Police Department on Friday said Xavier Padilla Aguilera, 2, went missing after he and his father were separated when their car was caught in flooding.
Mario remnants trigger Southern California mudslides, rain persists across Southwest
A surge of rain moved across Southern California and the Desert Southwest U.S. Thursday, causing several mudslides and debris flows. The moisture is associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario that fell apart over the eastern Pacific earlier in the week. More rain is expected in California Friday before spreading across the Southwest through Saturday.
BARSTOW, Calif.– Police and family are desperately searching for a 2-year-old boy in California who was swept away in flooding on Thursday night during heavy rains triggered by remnants of Tropical Storm Mario.
Barstow Police Department on Friday said Xavier Padilla Aguilera went missing after he and his father were separated when their car was caught in flooding.
The family's car was found, but without Xavier or his father inside.
REMNANTS OF MARIO TRIGGER MUDSLIDES AS RAIN SURGES ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SOUTHWEST US
Car swept away in floodwaters in Barstow, California on Sept. 18, 2025.
(Barstow Police Department / FOX Weather)
Police said Xavier's father, Brandon, was rescued Thursday evening on an island surrounded by floodwaters. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and later released.
An aunt of Xavier's told FOX 11 Los Angeles that Xavier is nonverbal and has autism.
Police continued their search for the toddler on Friday.
Rainfall totals in the mountains ranged anywhere from a half inch to 2 inches, with a few isolated higher totals.
Gauges near Bear Valley in San Bernardino County recorded 2.83 inches while another gauge along Running Springs tallied 4.14 inches. Farther north, the area around Ridgecrest reported as much as 3.17 inches.
The moisture is associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario that fell apart over the Eastern Pacific earlier in the week. However, heavy rains and strong thunderstorms have pelted Central and Southern California, leading to multiple mudslides and road closures.
This is a developing story. Check back frequently for updates.