Police in Virginia believe they have located the remains of a New York man and his toddler son inside an SUV parked in Rockbridge County.

According to New York Post, authorities launched a manhunt after 43-year-old John Ligurgo III and 2-year-old Jovani did not show up for an arranged meeting to drop the child off with his mother.

Identified as Maria, the boy’s mother reportedly left him with Ligurgo early Tuesday morning and expected to pick him up again around 4 p.m. the same day. She reportedly last saw them at the fathers home in Coram on Long Island.

Maria called 911 after the father and son did not show up at the prearranged meeting time, Suffolk County police said.

While initial reports did not include a positive identification of the bodies, police said they were found in Ligurgo’s Jeep Grand Cherokee. Authorities did not immediately reveal a suspected cause of death.

Ligurgo was allegedly armed with a hunting rifle at the time of his disappearance with his son.

Local police did not provide a statement but indicated that state authorities made the determination not to issue an Amber Alert in association with the missing child.

As Newsday reported, state police issued a response to the incident and its decision.

“The father did not have a criminal history, had no history of violence and had never harmed the child,” the statement read. “In addition, once it was established that the vehicle had crossed into New Jersey, the focus of the search moved there. State Police contacted the New York State Intelligence Center to further assist Suffolk PD in their investigation.”

[Featured image: Jovani Ligurgo and John Ligurgo III/Suffolk County Police Department]