Unidentified remains found during search for missing 5-year-old; mom arrested for child neglect: Sheriff

Human remains have been recovered in Alabama during the intensive search for missing 5-year-old Taylor Williams, police said Tuesday.

The identity of the remains have not been determined, but "indications are this may be Taylor Williams," Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Taylor's mother, Brianna Williams, has been arrested on charges of child neglect and giving false information to investigators, the sheriff said Tuesday. He did not explain the child neglect charges.

Authorities had announced Monday that the search for Taylor, a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, was expanding to Alabama.

The human remains were discovered in a wooded area between the cities of Linden and Demopolis, said police in Demopolis.

"Operational efforts will now shift to secure and process the evidence at the scene," Demopolis police said Tuesday.

The search for the 5-year-old girl began on Wednesday.

She was allegedly last seen in her home in Jacksonville around midnight on Wednesday when her mother put her to bed. Brianna Williams said when she woke up around 7 a.m. she noticed the back door to the home was unlocked and Taylor wasn't in her room, according to authorities.

Brianna Williams was named a person of interest in the case on Monday. The sheriff said Brianna Williams is not cooperating with investigators and has not spoken to authorities since Wednesday, the day Taylor was reported missing.

Brianna Williams was the last person to see the little girl, the sheriff said. It is not clear when someone besides Brianna Williams saw the 5-year-old, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said Monday, "We absolutely hope to find her alive."