KENTWOOD — Deputies have arrested a man on aggravated kidnapping charges after a 2-year-old was found in Kentwood sleeping in the back of a car registered to him, officials said.

James Mercier was taken into custody on Wednesday morning after an AMBER Alert was issued for the missing toddler, after the young boy was abducted in Tangipahoa Parish.

The child was last seen at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, traveling southbound on Interstate 55 near Kentwood.

According to deputies, around 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday, a passerby reported to the nearby Pike County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi about having seen a vehicle matching the description given in the AMBER Alert. Deputies then responded and found the child in the back of Mercier's car along G Smith Road off of La. 51. 

The boy was sleeping in the back of the car in the parking lot of a business in the Kentwood area, Tangipahoa Parish deputies said. Mercier was found nearby and taken into custody. 

The boy was then taken to an area hospital to be evaluated. The relationship between the child's mother and Mercier is not known at this time, officials added. 

"We are elated at this outcome, but there are still a lot of questions and this investigation is far from over,” Sheriff Gerald Sticker said. “I want to recognize the diligent effort of the men and women of this agency that continues at this moment and for the public’s support in not only spreading the word but being vigilant and reporting critical tips. We say it all the time, but this is proof this community can and will be safe when we all work together.”

Sticker says there are still questions that need to be answered in this investigation.

"We will let the evidence lead us to whatever conclusion we get to. The conversations we are having with the mother, the conversation we are having with Mericier, once we get a good picture of what happened and a timeline of exactly what happened, we will apply state statutes appropriately." he said.