On the Front Lines – AMBER Advocate

Lieutenant Kathy Zysek, *above,* was a key contact with the parents of the teen missing from the University at Buffalo, *shown at top*, where about 30,000 students are enrolled.

By Jody Garlock

Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht has been with the New York State University Police long enough to know the ebbs and flows of student stress levels at the University at Buffalo (UB). The first six weeks of fall semester, and a few weeks toward the end of spring term, one is likely to find students either adjusting to their new environs or finalizing exams and often concerned about their grades. That’s when Sticht and his team are most likely to field missing persons calls, typically from a parent unable to reach their child.

“We get a fair number of missing persons calls, but usually find students reported missing within the first hour,” Sticht said. “It might be something like a student is at a friend’s house and no one has seen them for days.”

But a May 2023 call from a worried mother unable to reach her son before his final exams proved to be far from routine. The wide-ranging case would lead investigators south to Mexico and involve numerous law enforcement authorities, including New York State’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse (NYMPC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) of Fox Valley Technical College.

The case’s outcome was a positive one, with the teen swiftly and safely located, thanks in large part to a word all involved in the case mentioned: “Collaboration.” There was collaboration between the parents and UB police; between UB police, the NYMPC, and FBI; and between the NYMPC and AATTAP. Collaboration was also strong between AATTAP and contacts developed through its Southern Border Initiative (SBI), which works to support the seamless operation of AMBER Alert plans in cross-border abduction cases.

“We have access to a lot of technical tools here, but once someone is out of the state, we’re really stuck,” Sticht explained. “Collaborating early and bringing in a number of different resources was key.”

The case also reflects how AMBER Alert programs are used more broadly as a cornerstone tool to locate endangered missing youth. In this case, the missing student was 19—making him too old for an AMBER Alert. But his age, combined with facts uncovered by New York law enforcement, proved he was indeed vulnerable and perhaps in grave danger.

The investigation unfolds

On May 11, a resident adviser—responding to a welfare check prompted by the boy’s mother— discovered the student had not been seen for two days. The adviser promptly reported the student missing to UB police, who in turn visited his dorm room. There they discovered two “red flags”: His cellphone had been left behind (“College students just don’t do that,” Sticht said) and his university-issued ID card— needed to access campus buildings and his meal plan—had not been used in several days.

“This ramped up our concern,” Sticht said. “Sometimes we have situations where everyone is in full-blown panic mode, and we find the person studying in the library. But this was different. No [electronic] devices were hitting the networks. And every tool we would normally use [to locate someone] was hitting a dead end.”

Within hours, UB police added the missing teen to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database in accordance with Suzanne’s Law (enacted after another endangered missing New York college student was ineligible for an AMBER Alert; see related sidebar).

The following day, New York State’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse (NYMPC) received additional information from the boy’s mother that led them to consider issuing a Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert for him.

The mother had reported to NYMPC that her son was on the autism spectrum and had poor decision-making skills. Online luring seemed a possibility. The parents had learned their son had been communicating via the Discord app with individuals in Mexico and had used PayPal to send someone money.

They also noted that on May 8—the last day their son had used his university meal plan—he had withdrawn funds from his bank account. What’s more, he had recently asked his mother for his passport, explaining he planned to visit Niagara Falls, which straddles the Canadian border.

After a review of his cell phone records showed he had made a 3 a.m. phone call to Delta Airlines, all indications pointed to his attempt to travel to Mexico. Meanwhile, UB officers were able to confirm the student had flown out of Buffalo to Shreveport, Louisiana, giving them “a lucky break” in the case, Sticht said. But with 1,200 miles separating the New York team from the boy’s last known location, collaboration with other law enforcement agencies would need to happen quickly.

Tim Williams, Missing Persons Investigative Supervisor at the NYMPC, contacted the New York State Intelligence Center (SIC) to inquire about getting help from U.S. Border Patrol, and together they learned the youth had flown from Shreveport to Dallas, and on to Mexico City. With confirmation that the teen was no longer in New York—or even the country—a Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert was nixed. Instead, after Williams briefed NYMPC Manager Cindy Neff on what was now a cross-border case, she decided to contact Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron, who coordinates AATTAP’s international and territorial training and outreach, including the Southern Border Initiative.

That proved to be a smart move, Neff said. Leon-Baron had FBI contacts at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, and within an hour Leon-Baron was talking with the U.S. Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). In turn, the OPDAT source was briefing the U.S. State Department’s American Citizen Services group on the case.

Surprisingly swift resolution

On May 13—roughly 48 hours after the teen was reported missing—Mexican authorities located him in Querétaro, about 135 miles north of Mexico City. The youth had begun using a different name and living in an apartment with two people close to his age. Local authorities and the FBI interviewed the teen, who said he was fine. But he wanted to stay in Querétaro. The parents confirmed his identity via photos and spoke with their son.

While the parents are exploring ways to best help their son, those involved in the search for him are proud of how quickly they were able to locate him in another country—and how relieved they were to know he was found unharmed.

Neff credits Leon-Baron for accelerating the search due to her connections in Mexico: “Once Jesi reached out, they got right on it.”

The case represents “the very essence” of AATTAP’s mission to build relationships and collaborate, Leon-Baron said. “The success of this investigation is due to the partnerships built with AMBER Alert Coordinators in the U.S., and Southern Border Initiative relationships established in Mexico,” she said.

Having solid relationships ahead of time was crucial, Leon-Baron says. “It’s being the bridge, if you will, to pass it on. Without that, it would have prolonged the opportunity to recover the teen quickly.”

Back on the UB campus, Sticht is pleased with the work of his officers, who remained the point of contact for the parents even after the case left his team’s jurisdiction. “Collaboration is really what got this done,” he said.

Line of Hernando County, Florida, law enforcement SUVs in rural setting. — Hernando County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office SUVs and other law enforcement vehicles line the verdant rural road near where 2-year-old Joshua “JJ” Rowland went missing.

Rescued toddler, JJ Rowland, in the arms of volunteer searcher Roy Link, Brooksville, Florida. — Search volunteer Ray Link found the toddler and carried him to safety. Photo: Tampa Bay10

By Rebecca Sherman

ON THE MORNING of February 23, 2023, toddler Joshua “JJ” Rowland was fast asleep. His grandmother, who had been caring for him, dropped him off at his parents’ house at 9:45 a.m. With JJ’s mother still asleep, his grandmother quietly placed the drowsy boy in his bed. And all was quiet when she left. But that peace would be broken within an hour, when JJ’s mother awoke to find the front door open, the family dogs in the front yard, and her son nowhere to be found.

JJ’s mother began a frantic search of their property in Brooksville, Florida. The Rowland home sits on an expanse of land surrounded by dense areas of trees and brush that characterize this rural region of west-central Florida. The land also has a deep pond, plus barns and sheds—all potential hazards and hiding spots for their lost 2-yearold. After an hour of searching for JJ, his mother called 911.

Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies arrived and quickly combed the area for the blond curly haired toddler who was wearing a Batman T-shirt and space themed pajama pants. A witness reported seeing JJ playing in his front yard at 10:40 a.m., but he had not been seen since. By this point, JJ had been missing for nearly an hour. And time was not anyone’s side.

As a search operation got underway, law enforcement began canvassing the area. They interviewed family members and neighbors, and contacted registered sex offenders in the area, all of whom gave permission for their homes to be searched. But after five hours, there was still no sign of the toddler.

“As of now, we have no indication [whether] he was abducted, or if he just wandered off,” Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said during a roadside press conference near the Rowland home. “We’ve been scouring the woods with bloodhounds and our K-9s. Deputies have been coming back just covered in sand spurs looking for little JJ.”

Nienhuis described JJ as a “rambunctious” child and more mature than his age would indicate. “He might have gotten farther away than we might anticipate, and [may be] hiding in someone’s shed or garage,” he said, acknowledging that chances for a positive outcome were dwindling as the hours passed. “Our hope is to find him alive and well.” (Story continues below)

A massive search and rescue effort involved nearly 100 law enforcement officers from area agencies, including sheriff’s deputies from four nearby counties, members of the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Highway Patrol, Department of Corrections, and Probation and Parole.Due to the vast and complex terrain involved, specialized search and rescue operations were deployed to thoroughly examine woods and water using drones, K-9 units, horseback patrols, dive teams, and all-terrain vehicles.

“It’s a difficult area to search,” Nienhuis told a gathering of reporters. “The woods make it difficult to see even a few feet—the grass is so high—and JJ is so small.”

At 6 p.m., as daylight faded and spirits waned, a statewide Enhanced Missing Child Alert was issued. Within hours the ground search for JJ would be called off due to darkness, but Hernando County deputies continued their desperate quest to find the boy from the air, using helicopters and drones equipped with heat-sensing infrared cameras. Then fog rolled in, hindering the air search. The long night ended without locating JJ.

At dawn the next day, nearly 100 Child Abduction Response Team (CART) members from five agencies arrived on the scene to assist. An amazing 500 volunteers also joined the search, led by a Volunteer Coordinator from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). Thanks to the voracity of the first day’s efforts, and the swift and comprehensive response with vast resources enlisted on day two, all those involved in the physically taxing search would see their efforts rewarded.

Volunteer Roy Lick was well-suited for the task at hand. The former U.S. Marine and retired Hernando County Parks Department employee knows the area well, so when volunteers were needed in the search for JJ, he answered the call. His pre-planned fishing trip would have to wait.

By now it was about 11 a.m.—some 24 hours after JJ had disappeared. Link was crossing a field about a half-mile behind the boy’s house when he heard a soft whimpering. Link followed the sound about 100 feet into the woods. He then spotted JJ’s curly blond head. Standing barefoot in briars and covered in bug bites and scratches, the boy instantly held out his arms to be picked up. Link obliged.

“He then started hollering for his mom,” Link told local reporters. “I kept telling him, ‘Your mama’s comin’, your mama’s comin’.” Everyone involved in the search was elated to hear JJ had survived the 24-hour ordeal with only minor injuries. “Not many adults would want to be in that place at night … where who knows what’s out there? We have coyotes and other wild animals,” Link said.

Sheriff Nienhuis noted that JJ had crossed a residential road behind his house and crawled through barbed wire fences, “which was extremely unusual and unanticipated.”

After JJ was given water and treated by EMS for cuts and scrapes, he was reunited with his family—while the community cheered. “I’ve got to admit, I’m a little emotional. I thought we were going to have bad news,” Nienhuis told reporters. ”It’s a very good day in Hernando County.”

By Denise Gee Peacock

Little did the parents of a Layton, Utah, 13-year-old know how dangerous his immersion into the social gaming platform Roblox had become.

The virtual reality world of social gaming got very real for a Utah teen abducted from home by a fellow gamer – an accused sexual predator from Arizona. The boy was found safe, nearly 800 miles from home, thanks to a good Samaritan. Noticing their son was becoming more secretive, distracted, and easily agitated, the couple investigated the game’s communications log for clues to his behavioral changes. They were distraught to find that he was conversing with a gamer named “Hunter Fox” who identified as a “furry” (someone who enjoys dressing up as a furry animal).As they combed through the text-like interactions, they saw the conversation had increasingly become sexualized in tone. But because such language might be flagged, and hinder the gamers’ access to Roblox, “Hunter” discussed using other digital platforms to continue communication.

Alarmed, the parents contacted the Layton Police Department (LPD) on November 29, 2022, to report their findings. Over the next several weeks, the LPD awaited information stemming from subpoenas issued to help them identify the online predator.

Meanwhile “Hunter” began using other methods to communicate with the boy, primarily via text messages in which he shared nude photos and videos of himself. He pressured the boy to do likewise. Soon, “Hunter” convinced the boy to meet him late in the evening on December 26, 2022.

The suspected abductor, whose real name was Aaron Zeman (though he had numerous aliases), was thought to be traveling with the boy in a 1998 Toyota Avalon. The vehicle had damage to the front grill and a temporary Arizona tag. And based on the LPD’s detective work, they believed Zeman to be taking the boy to either Arizona or Texas, where Zeman had ties.

As LPD Lieutenant Travis Layton and his team were pursuing the boy’s digital footprints and trying to track the vehicle, good news arrived within 24 hours—from nearly 800 miles away in Nebraska.

Quote from Utah Police Lieutenant Travis Lyman (shown in photo): "The parents did everything they could in this instance. This was just a persistent suspect and perpetrator. We're just glad it ended the way it did."

Just after 1 a.m. December 28, the clerk working at the Git ’N Split near I-80 in Grand Island, Nebraska, noticed some suspicious activity. A white Toyota Avalon, driven by an adult male accompanied by a teenage boy, had pulled up to a gas pump and parked. After no one exited the car to purchase gas, the vehicle drove away from the pump, headed the wrong way down an access road, turned around, and then parked in a dimly lit area near the store. That prompted the clerk to alert the Grand Island Police Department (GIPD), who quickly arrived at the scene.

After running the vehicle’s plate number, officers discovered it was wanted in connection with the AMBER Alert issued in Utah the day before.

ABC-affiliate Nebraska TV reported that the person driving the vehicle initially identified himself as “Tadashi Kojima” before officers realized he was Aaron Zeman, 26, wanted in connection with the AMBER Alert. By 2 a.m., the boy was taken to a place of safety while Zeman was booked into the Hall County jail on suspicion of kidnapping.

“We are grateful that [the store attendant] was paying attention, and was able to report the unusual activity,” LPD Lieutenant Travis Lyman told Fox13 News. Lyman said it was unclear where Zeman actually planned to take the boy, but what was most alarming was learning he had requested the boy bring his passport with him, which he did.

While the teen agreed to meet the man, Lyman said, “he is 13 years old and cannot consent in any way. Therefore Aaron [Zeman] had [committed] kidnapping.” At last check, Zeman was being held in a Nebraska jail, booked on $1 million bail. He is facing one felony count of kidnapping and resisting arrest. Lyman noted that Zeman will likely face the felony charge of online enticement of a minor. And since Zeman took the teen across state lines, his crime could be prosecuted federally.

“After helping the boy rejoin his family, we’ll work with our federal partners and law enforcement in Nebraska to determine charges and who may be handling what parts of this investigation,” Lyman said.

Speaking on behalf of the boy’s family in Utah, friend Beth Cooper described the 13-year-old as a “handsome, brilliant young man.”

“He comes from a very loving household, safe environment. He’s grown up with two loving parents his entire life,” she told Fox13 Salt Lake City. “This just isn’t one of those scenarios in which he was trying to run away from a bad home. He was manipulated by someone pretending to be someone they were not. … He doesn’t understand yet why when somebody asks you to leave your house, you don’t go.”

Thankfully, the AMBER Alert system worked.

“I’ve learned a lot about that,” Cooper explained. “It’s amazing to see how putting out the [AMBER Alert] quickly puts everyone on alert—not only officers in this state, but those in surrounding ones” who can access the information.

Happily, the boy’s mom and dad “are beyond ecstatic that this was the outcome,” she said.

When the mother reunited with her son, she told reporters that the anguish of not knowing where her son was for two days is something she “wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Aaron Zeman, the man arrested for abducting the Utah teen, is shown in an undated photograph wearing a hat and backpack next to a Christmas tree. The Nebraska gas station where he and the boy were found by police is also shown.

By Paul Murphy

The social media post simply read, “Help.” But it would transform a report of two runaway teens into a trafficking case requiring an AMBER Alert and intense search for the 14-year-olds.

The case unfolded on June 29, 2022, when the teens left their homes in McGregor, Texas – 20 minutes southwest of Waco, in McLennan County.

According to the girls’ families, the duo are best friends, so their parents initially thought they were staying at either of the girl’s homes. The teens later called their parents to say one of their uncles would be picking them up – but that did not happen. Then, later that night, one of the girl’s mothers was startled to find a note from her daughter stating she would “make this right.”

“I want her to know that everything is OK,” the mother told a reporter while her daughter was missing. “It doesn’t matter what she has done. I want her to just come home. We love you no matter what. Our door is open. Come home.”

McGregor Police Department Lieutenant Ron McCurry said the situation originally did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert. But he became more concerned after the girls were gone nearly a week.

“We were following all leads and doing everything we could to find them,” he said.

The course of the investigation would change drastically after one of the girl’s mothers shared a screengrab of a Snapchat message from her daughter. It had only one word – “Help” – but it spoke volumes. Lieutenant McCurry concluded the teens’ disappearance posed a credible threat to their safety since they were likely with an unknown, dangerous individual.

McCurry requested an AMBER Alert in the early morning hours of July 4. The Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) issued the alert at 4:13 a.m.

Ben Patterson is the Alert Program Manager for the TxDPS. He oversees AMBER Alerts and other endangered missing alerts for
the country’s second largest state, with 29.1 million residents, 254 counties, and 1,200 incorporated cities within its 268,596 square miles. Due to its size, the Lone Star State has 18 regional AMBER Alert programs coordinated by law enforcement and public safety personnel who work closely with Patterson.

“I always think, what if it was my child or children that were missing,” Patterson said. “Children are much more accepting of adults and may not think about ulterior motives.”

The AMBER Alert notified key partners: the Texas Department of Transportation, five Texas Border Intelligence Centers, the Texas Lottery Commission, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and secondary distribution groups that included the media.

The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Unit, the FBI, and volunteer analysts for the National Child Protection Task Force joined in the search. Detectives and task force analysts were able to get information from Apple to help track the general location for one of the victim’s phones. They could also identify individuals trying to call her, including one unknown person from Waco.

McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Detective Joseph Scaramucci was able to pinpoint a restaurant near where they girls were being held. And though it was dark, he spotted a license plate belonging to that unknown caller from Waco.

At 2:25 a.m. on July 5, the girls were rescued from an apartment in Georgetown, Texas, about 75 miles south of Waco. The 30-year-old man holding the teens, James Robert Vanhouten, was arrested after a brief standoff with McLennan County detectives and Georgetown Police Department officers, and the girls were returned to their families.

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara told reporters that after the girls ran away from home, they “fell in with some bad people and went from one place to the next. They were kept in some pretty bad places.”

The teens told detectives they were forced to take drugs. One victim had left her phone at home, and though the other’s phone was malfunctioning, she was fortunately able to use it when it connected to the internet. That helped her send the Snapchat SOS.

“They were very happy to be rescued,” McNamara said.

: Authorities arrested this 30-year-old man for harboring and trafficking the girls. Photo: KWTX

Vanhouten has been charged with trafficking. Two other men involved in the crime have been charged with harboring runaway children.

“We are going to make these scum bags accountable for what they did to these young girls,” McNamara said, noting the girls were taken to five different homes before they were found. “There will be more charges and more arrests to come. We are not going to let up.”

McCurry is thankful for the “absolutely incredible” response received from the public once the AMBER Alert was sent. “It’s a very valuable resource.”

Patterson, too, was relieved to learn the girls were found safe. Since “there are many children who are not recovered, these girls were very fortunate,” he said.

According to reports, more than 50,000 people are trafficked each year in the U.S., and a quarter of those victims pass through Texas. The National Human Trafficking Hotline has registered more than 5,800 trafficking cases since 2007 and more than 800 cases in 2019. Investigators say the suspects in this case were not part of a larger trafficking ring but just took advantage of the situation.

Texas is the birthplace of the AMBER Alert, the tool now used worldwide to alert the public about child abductions. The alert was created shortly after Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered on January 15, 1996, in Arlington, Texas.

Patterson said Texas offers missing person alert training in 30 locations twice a year. He said this case offers a valuable lesson on how missing and abducted children’s cases can evolve. “Be prepared,” he said. “What could be seen as a routine situation can easily change.”

It’s also evident “that we need to take missing kids seriously,” Scaramucci added. “The AMBER Alert put everyone on edge,” helping people take the situation “more seriously than [believing the girls to be] just a couple of runaways.”

(Left) Canyon Creek trailhead, (Right) Idaho State Police Corporal Dave Wesche

By Denise Gee Peacock

The white Nissan Sentra with Georgia plates didn’t strike Idaho State Police (ISP) Corporal David Wesche as suspicious. At least at first.

“We get a lot of tourists up here,” he said of the vast Canyon Creek wilderness area in Idaho’s panhandle. “I thought it might be a group of bear hunters.”

Little did he know the supposed big game hunters would soon become big news.

In a Bad Spot

Trooper Wesche first noticed the vehicle as he was heading home the night of May 4, 2022. It was parked along U.S. Highway 12 by mile marker 10, east of Lowell, Idaho. The car was close to a trailhead leading to a formidably dense forest, where steep bluffs tower over a winding canyon creek. With “civilization” being 40 miles away, Wesche said only die-hard hunters camped in the area.

After being away from work for a week, Wesche traversed the same stretch of road the evening of May 10. The car was still there. Using his flashlight to peer inside its windows, he saw buckets often used by hunters. But one thing bothered him. “Only the most experienced hunters, primarily locals, visit that part of Canyon Creek,” Wesche said, “and only during daylight hours,” since bears, wolves, and mountain lions often roam there at night.

Wesche radioed ISP Regional Communications Officer Keila Wyndham to request a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) trace. The car was linked to an Enterprise Rent-A-Car company in LaGrange, Georgia. Wesche then asked Wyndham to find out when the car was due to be returned. She soon contacted him with the answer: May 11 – the next day.

With the vehicle 2,400 miles from Georgia, the renter would obviously not be returning it on time. That itself was not unusual; tourists often return rental cars late. But, if the car were to still be in Idaho after its due-date, Wesche had two options. He could follow the standard protocol of tagging the abandoned vehicle and requesting the rental agency tow it away. Or he could take another route – one driven by a hunch that something wasn’t right.

Amusement Park By-Pass

The ordeal of 11-year-old Gabriel Daugherty – known for a bright smile, spirited T shirts, and smart black glasses – had begun 12 days earlier in LaGrange. On Thursday, April 28, Gabriel’s non-custodial father, Addam Daugherty, picked up his son for a pre-approved trip to Six Flags near Atlanta, about an hour’s drive north. The plan was for Gabriel to return home Sunday, May 1.

The next day (April 29), Addam, a long-haul trucker, called Gabriel’s mother to say Six Flags was unexpectedly closed. (Unbeknownst to her, it wasn’t). His backup plan was to take Gabriel to a Missouri theme park. She gave him permission to do so, and he agreed to have their son home by Friday, May 6.

On May 3, Addam once again called Gabriel’s mother – this time saying his truck had broken down and he would need an extra day to have it repaired. Gabriel, he assured her, would now be home by Saturday, May 7.

But May 7 came and went, with Gabriel’s mother unable to reach Addam via the new cell phone number he had provided. She contacted the LaGrange Police Department (LPD) to report her son missing.

Seeking advice from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the LPD discussed whether the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert (also known as a “Levi’s Call” in the state). The mother, LPD detectives said, was emphatic that Addam would never do anything to hurt their son, but he nonetheless did not have her permission to be with Gabriel.

“On the face of it, the situation appeared to be a custody issue, so a Levi’s Call was not issued,” said Emily Butler, GBI AMBER Alert/Levi’s Call Coordinator.

The LPD did, however, begin trying to locate Mr. Daugherty. Within hours, his truck was found abandoned in LaGrange – not in Missouri, as his wife was led to believe. Detectives also discovered that Mr. Daugherty had resigned from his trucking job a few days before picking up Gabriel, and told his employer where to find his truck.

On May 9, the LPD issued a felony warrant for Mr. Daugherty’s arrest, alerting Georgia law enforcement agencies, the media, and the public to be on the lookout for Addam and his son. The last thing LPD detectives expected was for the duo to be in the wilds of Idaho.

Research Pays Off

ISP Trooper Wesche was off duty May 10, but prepared for his work the next day by again contacting ISP Dispatcher Wyndham. He asked her to provide him with the name of the car’s renter, and a photo of the driver license used when renting it. Wyndham responded within minutes: “His name is Addam Daugherty – Addam with two ‘d’s.” A photo of him would be forthcoming.

Wesche next contacted his sister, an Idaho Fish and Game (IFG) officer. He asked her if an Addam Daugherty from Georgia had applied for a hunting or fishing license. After checking IFG records, she said he had not. “Maybe he’s been hunting without a license,” Wesche recalls thinking. “Again, that’s not legal, but it’s also not unusual.” Wesche also knew from experience that vehicles abandoned near forests often led to the discovery of suicide victims. “So that was in my mind too.” His sister then called back. She found a news article about Mr. Daugherty and his son.

“That’s when we realized we had a bigger issue than an overdue rental car or a hunter without a license,” he said.

On May 11, Wesche relayed his findings to ISP leadership, which worked with ISP Regional Communications Supervisor Ray Shute to coordinate an “information relay” between the ISP and LPD. Otherwise, timely, back-and-forth communications would pose a challenge: Wesche lived and worked in a remote area without cell phone access. He could only communicate using his ISP radio, home landline, and the hard-wired internet on his computer.

Tapping into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, the ISP team saw that Georgia had issued an in-state warrant for Mr. Daugherty’s arrest. They immediately contacted detectives in LaGrange, sharing information about the abandoned rental car in Idaho. In turn, they learned about Mr. Daugherty’s abandoned truck in Georgia, and the misinformation he had provided to Gabriel’s mother. The LPD changed the case involving Mr. Daugherty to a felony warrant with full extradition, and a missing person case was opened for Gabriel.

Collaborating with LPD Detective/Crime Analyst Jason Duncan, Shute wrote a warrant to obtain Google records of Mr. Daugherty’s cell phone activity. The Idaho-Georgia team learned the last time he had used the phone was in Riggins, Idaho, May 3 – the day he told Gabriel’s mother his truck had broken down in Missouri. They also realized pinging Mr. Daugherty’s cell phone would be impossible, given his location in Canyon Creek, and the fact that he had a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, which only works when connected to Wi-Fi.

ISP Police Sergeant Aaron Bingham briefed the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) on the situation. With daylight fading, they scheduled a search and rescue operation for the next day at dawn.

Successful Recovery

On the day of the search (May 12), an ISP-ICSO briefing was held in Kooskia, Idaho. Wesche worked to obtain a warrant to access the rental car, which would be towed for inspection at the ISP District Office in Lewiston. Meanwhile, ICSO deputies trained in search and rescue tactics were deployed to the trailhead near where Mr. Daugherty had parked. A short time later, using a drone, they located Mr. Daugherty and his son at a partially camouflaged camp site several miles up the trail.

“Going a few miles into the Canyon isn’t a typical hiker’s experience,” Wesche explained. “It’s a treacherous physical undertaking.”

Sheriff’s deputies reported that Mr. Daugherty appeared shocked when confronted. “He thought he was in the middle of the wilderness and would never be found,” Idaho County Chief Deputy Brian Hewson told local media. “They were really unprepared with [inadequate] food, clothing, and sleeping arrangements.” Due to a lot of rain and cold temperatures the region had recently experienced, “the area was too damp to start a fire, and their clothes and tent were wet when officers found them,” Hewson said. “They were starting to eat local plant life, snails, and insects.”

Gabriel “was very weak and sick,” he noted. “He was glad we found him when we did,” especially since his father told him they would not be returning home to Georgia.

Gabriel was transported to a local hospital for treatment and observation before being reunited with his mother in Georgia. His father was taken to the Idaho County Jail and extradited back to LaGrange to face the charge of interstate interference with custody.

Sheriff’s investigators believe that Mr. Daugherty’s trucking job had once given him the opportunity to traverse the long east-west Highway 12 route through Idaho, and that he had selected the area for its remoteness. “It was clear he had this planned,” Hewson said.

“At every turn the father made poor decisions,” Wesche explained. “He thought he and his son could live like survivalists, but the father had no outdoor skills whatsoever.”

After the case was resolved, LPD Detective Duncan commended Idaho law enforcement for their excellent work. “It’s still hard to believe [the Daughertys] were found alive that far from their vehicle in those conditions,” he said. “I’ve been on search parties in good weather and know how hard it is to keep the faith and push forward. Those involved are truly heroes – and 100 percent responsible for saving Gabriel’s life.”

ISP Communications Center Supervisor Shute returned the compliment. “Jason, your teamwork, coordination, sharing of information, and communication assisted our team greatly in the apprehension of Addam Daugherty and the safe recovery of Gabriel.”

Shute then praised Wesche. “He followed his intuition, did research on his own time, and was able to piece together this entire case,” he said. “Medical opinion was that if Gabriel had not been located within one to two days, he most likely would not have survived.”

Documentation is vital. Quickly entering a case into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database helps law enforcement connect the dots during an investigation. So does having a well-documented case file. “Since we don’t have jurisdiction over a regional investigation, sometimes there isn’t a lot of information for us to review when revisiting a case,” said GBI AMBER Alert/Levi’s Call Coordinator Emily Butler. “The fact that the LaGrange PD documented the case so well – even after the Levi’s Call [AMBER Alert] had been denied early on – is testament to regional law enforcement working well with state law enforcement as a team.”
“Pay attention to anything unusual,” advised ISP Corporal Dave Wesche, a 10-year veteran of law enforcement. “I take things seriously until I can say it’s nothing.”
“Cases are fluid,” Butler emphasized. “While the information we had at the time didn’t qualify the case for an AMBER Alert, the situation changed dramatically, and the officers responded accordingly.”
Teamwork is essential. “If we get a call from another state, I’m always open to helping them in any way possible,” Butler said. “That’s the case with most states, but it helps to get to know your counterparts during national conferences such as the one the AATTAP recently held.”
Thank everyone on the team. “That goes a long way in this line of work,” said ISP Communications Center Supervisor Ray Shute.

Six minutes after a 5-year-old autistic girl was reported missing, an officer just two weeks into his first assignment rapidly responded to a law enforcement alert, identifying and safely recovering the child. Amazingly, he had noticed the child just moments before standing on the porch of a neighbor’s home when heading out for his patrol shift. The officer’s attentiveness to call activity and his situational awareness were central to his swift and targeted response to the incident. Read the full story here.

Image and story information courtesy of the Hawaii Police Department Website, hawaiipolice.com. Originally published 7/27/22.

Left: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation badge Right: Arizona Department of Public Safety State Trooper vehicle

Citizen makes fateful call after multiple state AMBER Alert partners work together to recover missing Tennessee children

Authorities honor Good Samaritan who had a “gut feeling” about the children she saw on a California beach

By Paul Murphy

It began as an ordinary situation that progressively got worse. The case of missing 3-year-old Noah Clare started on November 7, 2021, after his non-custodial father didn’t bring him back to his home in Gallatin, Tennessee.

The next day, Noah’s mother, Amanda Ennis, contacted the Gallatin police to get an emergency motion to suspend parenting time and a temporary restraining order against Noah’s father, Jacob Clare. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued an Endangered Child Alert for Noah Clare and a 16-year-old cousin accompanying him.

Following a law enforcement investigation in Kentucky, authorities learned Clare might be carrying a handgun and military-style rifle. They also found he may have planned his actions months ahead of the incident. Investigators also were concerned about Clare’s relationship with his teenage niece. Authorities decided to charge Clare with kidnapping and the TBI issued an AMBER Alert November 16.

“Tennessee had law enforcement officers and agents working non-stop during the investigation in order to locate Noah safely,” said Shelly Smitherman, TBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Tennessee’s AMBER Alert Coordinator.

Arizona also issued an AMBER Alert that same day after the suspect’s vehicle was seen near the Arizona-California border.

“Tennessee did a fantastic job with this AMBER Alert. They called and coordinated with us as soon as they had credible information that the subject was heading to Arizona,” said Chrystal Moore, Arizona AMBER Alert Coordinator and Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper. “We were able to utilize the provided information from Tennessee to show the vehicle had traveled into our state.”

California Checks In

More information came forward about the suspect’s vehicle being abandoned in San Clemente, California, on November 11 and towed two days later. With the new details, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued an Endangered Missing Advisory, also known as an Ashanti Alert, on November 16.

The Ashanti Alert is similar to an AMBER Alert in that it can target the media and public in a specific geographic area but can also be used for missing people between the ages of 18 and 64. The alert also provides flyers on social media with details about the alleged suspect and victim.

CHP Sergeant and California AMBER Alert Supervisor Ed Bertola and his team spent the entire day gathering details and monitoring the situation. “We are committed to doing whatever we can to recover children,” said Bertola. “The name of the alert isn’t what makes it important. It’s the child. That’s our mantra.”

At the same time, Bertola was trying to balance the effort to rescue the child with the impact the notifications could have on the public. He feared oversaturating people with alerts.

Because of the timing and the lack of certain details, CHP did not send the message to cellphones via a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) or broadcast. Even without these two specific tools, the CHP led California’s effort to find the children, employing other investigative actions and resources, including significant dedication of personnel hours.

Chance Sighting

On November 18, Julia Bonin saw a boy matching Noah’s description on a flyer at an Orange County, California, beach. She was on her way to drop off her son at school but trusted her instincts to help local deputies make contact.

“This feeling just didn’t go away. It was very much instinctual and very much a gut feeling that just stayed with me,” Bonin told a reporter.

Acting on her tip, law enforcement safely recovered the children and took Clare into custody.

“There is no greater reward in this job when a child is found safe,” said Smitherman.

Julia Bonin with Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes

Five months later, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department honored Bonin at a ceremony that included a surprise appearance from Amanda Ennis and her son Noah.

“It’s been torture. It’s been a nightmare,” Ennis said after reuniting with Noah. “It’s something that I would never wish my worst enemy to go through.”

Clare was charged with kidnapping and multiple sexual abuse charges. A woman who told authorities she was Clare’s “spiritual advisor” has also been charged with a felony for allegedly helping plan the crime.

Lessons Learned

Information about missing child cases can evolve. What began as a custodial dispute case, would soon become an abduction plan, guns, and an improper relationship with a teenage girl. Although the decision to issue an AMBER Alert occurred several days after the initial report to law enforcement, investigators in Tennessee and Arizona went to work within hours, with California ultimately joining the effort. The three-state team would employ an array of investigative strategies and tools to find Noah.
- Noah’s Law: In March of 2022, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed HB2354 into law. “Noah’s Law,” enhances the process to issue AMBER Alerts involving custodial issues. Under the new law, after a child has been missing for 48 hours, a judge can issue an order declaring the child to be in imminent danger, clearing the way for an AMBER Alert.
An AMBER Alert isn’t the only tool to find missing children. “Ultimately, the person who identified the involved parties recognized them from a flyer, which is one of the most rudimentary things we do,” Bertola said. ”Think of all of the electronic messaging and next generation digital tools we have; and yet it came down to a flyer somebody saw while walking along a beach. There is no question that the EAS and WEA are important tools in our arsenal, but even when they aren’t used, we still have ways to provide actionable information to help communities engage in the mission.”
Relationships matter. Both the Tennessee and California AMBER Alert coordinators credit the importance of knowing AMBER Alert partners before an alert is needed. “We are very connected with our AMBER Alert partners and have developed those relationships by working and training together,” Smitherman said. “Both California and Arizona were so gracious and willing to assist us.”
Social media can help and hurt an investigation. The children were ultimately found because of a flyer created using a social media post. However, the case had a large social media following outside of law enforcement that included false information and posts that did not support investigation efforts. Monitoring social media to ensure information is posted accurately is critical to keeping the public updated with viable and actionable information to help law enforcement.

The Alton, Illinois, Police Department honored a woman for responding to an AMBER Alert and finding a baby who had been taken during the theft of a van. At the July 14, 2021, event, Alton Police Chief Marcus Pulido remarked that Brittney Ford saved the 3-month-old baby’s life.

“We put that AMBER Alert out to try to solicit some help and sure enough we got help, and it was beyond impressive,” said Pulido.

The ordeal began March 26, 2021, when Gena Wilson’s van was stolen from her driveway. Her daughter Ghvadi Jaber was still inside the vehicle. “I thought she was gone,” said Wilson.

Wilson called the police department for help at 7:30 p.m. — five minutes after the child and van were taken. An AMBER Alert was requested at 9:00 p.m. Illinois AMBER Alert Coordinator Craig Burge issued the alert at 9:33 p.m. after determining the situation met the state’s criteria for the child abduction alert.

“Because time is of the essence with any alert, once a call comes in with a case that would qualify for an AMBER Alert, we immediately try to gather information that will galvanize the public’s interest in helping us find the missing child,” said Burge. “The most important thing we can do as an alerting authority is to collect the most accurate information possible to disseminate. And that process starts immediately.”

The Illinois State Police disseminated the alert to broadcasters through the National Weather Service (NOAA) Weather Radio and a secondary blast fax/email that is posted on all Illinois state websites. The information is also displayed on Illinois Department of Transportation and Tollway roadway message boards.

Illinois is divided into three areas for AMBER Alert distribution, allowing notifications to be sent to just one area or a combination of the three.

“Any time you have a situation with someone stealing a car, you never know the motive of the person,” Burge said. “You hope the AMBER Alert deters them from continuing with the crime, but you also want to make sure the child is found in a timely manner. It can get cold at night in Illinois, and you want to ensure the child is not subject to those elements for a long period of time.”

After hearing the AMBER Alert, Brittney Ford drove 12 miles from her home in Brighton and picked up her aunt Jenny Mawhee in Alton to start looking for the missing child. They were driving in the cold with the windows down so they could hear if the baby was crying.

At 11:40 p.m. they were on a road that is not heavily travelled and heard the baby’s cries. They found the infant face down in a ditch on the side of the road. “I still cry sometimes because it’s an emotional thing,” said Ford. “If it was my baby, I would want everyone out there.”

The child was found cold to the touch and taken to the hospital, but she did not have any serious injuries. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 12:04 a.m.

“This private citizen is a true hero,” said Burge. “There is no better feeling than being notified a child has been located safely. I think all my counterparts in every state would agree with me that this feeling is why we are so passionate about the AMBER Alert program.”

Gena Wilson shed tears of joy after finding out her baby had been found. “It was complete selflessness,” Wilson said about the Good Samaritan. “She took the time to look for my baby even though she has her own family.”

A 15-year-old boy was arrested and has been charged as an adult with attempted murder, kidnapping, and offenses related to motor vehicles in connection to the incident.

Illinois is seeing a rise in vehicle thefts and car jackings. Burge said these crimes are becoming more difficult and dangerous to investigate because the offender is often unknown and descriptive information is rarely available and can be limited.

Burge has been with the Missing Persons Unit at the Illinois State Police for 12 years. As the unit administrator, he is the AMBER Alert Coordinator, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager, and coordinator for the Silver Search and Blue Alert. “People want to help, and most of the time they don’t get the chance,” Burge said.

He continuously trains telecommunicator/call-takers so they can process and disseminate alerts as fast and efficiently as possible. “The key is knowing the right questions and asking for the right information, so you are not hunting for the details later.”

Burge said it is important to be persistent in your approach to AMBER Alerts. “Consistency in your process leads to increased speed and efficiency of your alert,” he concluded. “If you have the same processes, the same people making the calls and the same coordination with law enforcement, your plan will be more widely respected and ultimately more effective.”

“The ultimate gratification is to see an abducted child returned home safely. This is why the AMBER Alert program means so much to me, and the reason I take great pride in its success.”

*Christopher Ramirez with his mother, Araceli Nuñez, immediately after his rescue. Credit: Grimes County Sheriff’s Office*

The chances of finding 3-year-old Christopher Ramirez alive dimmed as the days passed.

On Wednesday, October 6, 2021, Christopher’s mother, Araceli Nuñez, had been unloading items from their van at their Plantersville, Texas, home when a neighbor saw Christopher follow the family dog into the nearby woods. When Christopher’s mother returned for her son less than two minutes later, she learned what happened. A panicked search by the boy’s family and friends got underway, but within minutes the dog returned home — without Christopher. That’s when Grimes County law enforcement was contacted for help.

As the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office swung into action, Lieutenant James Ellis reached out for help from AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Associate Chuck Fleeger, a 35-year veteran law enforcement officer in Texas who currently serves as Executive Director of the AMBER Alert Network Brazos Valley (AAN-BV).

The AAN-BV, formed in 2003, is a collaborative effort between more than two dozen local law enforcement agencies throughout the Brazos Valley in Central Texas. Operating in conjunction with Texas’s AMBER Alert Network, the AAN-BV provides local, state, and federal emergency management resources, local media outreach, and more for cases involving abducted and missing at-risk children.

With Grimes County being an hour south of Fleeger’s home in the Bryan- College Station area, he began making daily 100- mile roundtrip visits to the area to do what he does best: strategizing how to supplement law enforcement resources while bolstering media outreach and anticipating future needs.

While Grimes County conducted search and canvass operations, Fleeger helped solve the first problem. “Based on our state’s criteria the case didn’t qualify for AMBER Alert, so we went with a Regional Endangered Missing Child Advisory, which would allow a Wireless Electronic Alert (WEA) to be issued,” Fleeger said. After securing a photo of Ramirez, he typed up a brief description of the child and was able to get a poster to the media and public within 30 minutes.

In coordination with Lieutenant Ellis, Fleeger began rallying resources from his network of law enforcement specialists.

“We don’t move in and take over, we try to fill in the missing gaps,” he explained. Fleeger enlisted help from an adjacent county’s fire department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and TEAM Adam. He called in a canine team and requested drone assistance. He suggested a mobile command post be set up away from where the investigation was taking place.

By the third day of the search, hundreds of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers, firefighters, law enforcement agents, and partners from federal, state, and local jurisdictions, as well as private search groups, led the charge while the news media and the public did its part. Investigators went door to door, checked surveillance cameras, pools, sheds, and even drained one pond while searching two others.

By the third day of the search, some suggested calling off the intensive effort, believing it impossible that a 3-foot-tall, 40-pound toddler could survive without sustenance or shelter for so long. But Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell was adamant. “We’re not leaving until we find him.” He called on the community to pray for the boy’s safe recovery as Christopher’s mother sobbed.

“My heart has a hole in it,” she said in Spanish.

That evening, Tim Halfin did just that with his Bible study class. Afterward he felt like God wanted him to go look for the boy.

The next morning, Saturday, October 9, Halfin set out on that mission at 9:45 a.m. Within an hour he heard what sounded like a child’s voice in distress near a pipeline in the distance. He called law enforcement to tell them his location — about 10 yards into a thicket off a road nearly five miles from Christopher’s home.

“It was overwhelming,” Halfin recalled. “First you think this is a dream, but then I realized that it was him. I cradled him on my hip and said, ‘Little man, God has a purpose for you.’ ”

Soon Christopher and his mother were reunited, both in tears. Her son was hungry, scratched up, dehydrated, and bug-bitten, but otherwise in good condition. “God put everybody here in his path,” Nuñez said.

Ramirez spent several days at Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands, north of Houston, before being released and escorted home. He returned in a hero’s fashion, accompanied by a procession of first-responder vehicles with lights flashing.

Finding Christopher “was definitely a miracle — one combined with a lot of dedication and teamwork,” Fleeger said.

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CASE

Fleeger is working on an all-inclusive case study about Ramirez’s search and recovery for AATTAP Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training. He is also preparing a brief overview of the case to discuss at the March 2022 AATTAP National Symposium. Meanwhile, he offers these words of wisdom:

“Never give up. And stay positive. Sheriff Sowell exemplified that by saying, ‘We’re not in recovery mode. We’re going to keep trying to find Christopher.’ And they did.”
“Cultivate strong working relationships and teamwork. Lieutenant Ellis had my cell number and called me directly. And I have others’ cell numbers and they have mine. We understand what we’re here to do and respond to the call.”
Pay attention to your team’s wellbeing. “I noticed that Grimes County Sergeant Martha Smith had been assigned to stay with Christopher’s mother the entire time,” Fleeger said. “I offered to find some Spanish-speaking support for her. She told me that although she was tired, she thought she could make it. The main thing that lifted her spirits was me simply asking, ‘Are you OK?’ ”
AATTAP training pays off. After seeing in an AATTAP training class how using a shortened URL (via bit.ly) in a WEA linked to a verified Twitter account allows more information to a greater audience, Fleeger tried it during the Ramirez case. “It was one of the coolest things,” he said. “I was standing there during a search briefing and saw everybody’s phones go off at the same time. Even in that little corner of Grimes County, the tweet reached more than 33,000 people.”
For states wavering on having a CART program, “Don’t,” Fleeger said. “They are incredibly valuable. You have to build up muscle memory through repetition to be ready for cases like these when they happen. And while child abductions are incredibly rare, the good thing is, many of the skill sets learned in CART training can be applied to any investigative response, from capital murder to an armed robbery,” he said. “A 99% success rate in canvassing is just not good enough.”

Shifting stories, multiple suspects and a missing 4-year-old child with autism: all elements that complicated a case involving an AMBER Alert issued in Connecticut on June 1, 2021. It all began when the mother of the boy asked her brother to babysit.

While babysitting, the uncle said a family friend and known drug addict asked to borrow his car and take the child out but he refused. He called his sister at 11:20 a.m. after he woke up from a nap and told her his car and the child were gone.

The boy’s mother called the Middletown Police Department and reported her son had been missing for 23 hours. Middletown officers requested an AMBER Alert at 6:00 p.m. The alert was approved by the Connecticut State Police 20 minutes later and the child abduction alert was issued at 7:52 p.m.

The alert provided details about the alleged abduction to all state troopers, broadcasters and the public. The alert was also posted on social media, electronic highway signs and a message distributed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

At 8:15 p.m., a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) message was disseminated to local law enforcement agencies and the License Plate Reader (LPR) system was activated. The agency also notified the FBI and state police in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Authorities discovered the missing vehicle was captured on camera heading south on the Berlin turnpike earlier in the afternoon. They also found the suspect’s cellphone pinging that evening near Wethersfield, Connecticut. Two different citizens called 911 and reported seeing the suspect’s vehicle at a motel in Wethersfield.

Officers found the vehicle but it was empty. A woman at the motel told police she saw two people running into the woods. A K9 officer and police dog began a search and found the suspect and her husband covered in mud.

They also discovered the missing boy crying hysterically. The couple was arrested and the boy was taken to a hospital as a precaution. The case was resolved at 8:52 p.m., exactly one hour after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“The alert provided crucial information to all law enforcement agencies and the child was located in a very timely manner,” said Connecticut State Police Lieutenant and State AMBER Alert Coordinator Robert Derry. “This is just another example of the AMBER Alert system working correctly.”

According to the police report, the suspect said she asked to borrow the uncle’s car to take the boy out. She said she picked up her husband from an emergency room after he had escaped from a halfway house. The woman said they bought cocaine and started getting high with the boy in the car and in the motel room. The woman claimed the child’s uncle had given her permission to take his car and had asked her to babysit.

The uncle later admitted to police that his brother had taken him to work and that he lied to his sister about the circumstances around her son’s disappearance. On June 3, the victim’s uncle was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a child.

Lt. Derry has been a trooper with the Connecticut State Police for 27 years. He is the Commanding Officer for the Central District Major Crime Squad as well as the state AMBER Alert Coordinator. The state police agency has 930 troopers and it manages and coordinates Connecticut’s AMBER Alert program.

“We are here to serve the public in our communities every day,” added Derry. “We all take our roles and responsibilities very seriously. We work very hard to protect the public and to keep everyone safe.”

Two semi-trucks are now rolling down Washington roadways with images and information about a four-year-old girl who disappeared nearly two decades ago. The Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Unidentified Missing Persons Unit teamed up with Kam-Way Transportation to place age-progressed photos of Sofia Juarez on two of its trucks.

The trucks are part of the Homeward Bound Program and were unveiled on February 4, 2021, 18 years to the day after Sofia went missing in Kennewick, Washington. The missing girl’s family attended the event to showcase the truck trailers with the posters.
“We plead with anybody (who) knows anything,” said Victoria Juarez, Sofia’s aunt. “Please just come forward and let that light shine in that dark area because this family needs closure.”

Washington’s first AMBER Alert was issued for Sofia. Her disappearance has been featured on America’s Most Wanted, the side of a NASCAR race car, Times Square in New York and with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. A special investigator is now reviewing more than 20,000 pages of documents and interviewing people again.

“It’s been a long 18 years since Sofia was taken from her home and family,” said Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg. “The Kennewick Police Department has never forgotten Sofia, nor will we.”

The Homeward Bound Program started in 2006 with another trucking company and once featured 22 missing children. Kam-Way Transportation agreed to assume the program in 2018 after the other company was sold. This is the second child to be featured on Kam-Way trucks.

“The partnership will continue to expand in the coming months with the addition of several more missing children displayed on the side of the trailers,” said Carri Gordon, Washington State AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager. “Kam-Way Transportation has committed to continuing to feature as many children as they are able, with the hopes of bringing them home to their families.”

Three men burst into a St. Joseph, Missouri, home and took a two-year-old girl at gunpoint and then fled with the child. Police say the non-custodial father had a physical confrontation with the mother before leaving.

The alleged abduction took place on March 15, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. Authorities received the call about the kidnapping seven minutes later.

At 4:20 p.m., communication operators Melanie Stallsworth and Kristen Bartles, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, took a call about the armed home invasion and child abduction and immediately notified those responsible for issuing alerts.
A conference call with the St. Joseph Police Department was quickly established and an AMBER Alert was requested.

Missouri AMBER Alert Coordinator and State Highway Patrol Captain Corey Schoeneberg said recent events helped inform the decision about whether to issue an alert. This case involved a non-custodial father; and the event occurred less than one month after a separate incident in which a custodial parent killed two of his children before committing suicide.

“Making a judgement call as to what is a credible threat, reasonable threat, sufficient evidence of harm or whatever the language used may be, is not an easy call; and sometimes it is best to err on the side of caution,” said Schoeneberg. “Like all cases, a judgment call was made quickly based on the information available.”

AMBER Alert issued

Alternate AMBER Alert Coordinator Lieutenant Kevin Hunter was on duty and discussed with his team the scope and content of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). A regional activation was approved, and the AMBER Alert was issued at 4:34 p.m., just 14 minutes after the request was made.

Missouri partners with Twitter and the WEA message includes a uniform resource locator (URL). The link directs the public to Twitter where the public can access the AMBER Alert bulletin.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation and discovered the suspect’s vehicle – but it was empty. The suspect learned from his former employer about the AMBER Alert and he voluntarily surrendered himself and the child at the St. Joseph Police Department at 5:21 p.m., only 47 minutes after the alert was issued. The AMBER Alert was cancelled three minutes later.

Lessons learned

“Our immediate thoughts revolve around the relevance of the AMBER Alert in this case; however, the fact the child was safely recovered and returned to the mother provides a sense of relief,” said Schoeneberg.

“You always have a huge knot in your stomach every time a child goes missing and you want to make sure that you find that child as quickly as possible; safe, healthy and unharmed,” Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett shared with reporters.

St. Joseph Police Detective Sergeant Jason Strong added that it can be difficult to distinguish whether a child custody situation constitutes an emergency situation, and warrants an AMBER Alert - but he is grateful the alert was issued.

“Being able to engage the public through media, and with alerts and billboards, it’s very helpful,” said Strong. “Statistically, the longer that a child goes missing, the worse the outcome could be. So we want to get a child back as soon as possible.”

After each AMBER Alert, a review takes place on what worked and what can be improved to get a full perspective on the incident. Schoeneberg said they reached the conclusion the alert went to a broader area than necessary, but overall the alert worked exactly as it should.

“This case highlights the role communications personnel, even when not directly involved in the investigation, can have on the notification process,” said Schoeneberg. “Time is such a critical component of any missing child, and communications personnel realized the circumstances may meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert. This decision saved precious minutes and expedited contact with AMBER Alert Program Coordinators.”

Recognition for a job well done

On April 28, the Missouri State Highway Patrol honored the two communications operators for their roles in saving the child. Kristen Bartles said their training at the law enforcement academy was critical to their ability to act quickly.

“While I was down there, we had (Assistant Chief Paula Heckes) come to speak with my class, basically saying, in the event of any kind of possible alert, notify them immediately,” said Bartles.

Melanie Stallsworth said she is grateful communications operators are being recognized for their role in AMBER Alerts.

“You don’t have to carry a gun, you don’t have to be out in the field,” said Stallsworth. “You can still serve our public; you can still serve law enforcement and not be one of the guys on the front line.”

Looking back, Schoenberg said every AMBER Alert partner in Missouri has the same goal: “The motivation of all those involved is based on the fundamental duty to safeguard lives and protect the innocent.”

The premise of the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” is that cars can be stolen in a minute or less. Unfortunately, that short time frame was the real-life situation after a mother left her one-year-old son in the back of her vehicle to grab something from their Minneapolis, Minnesota, home before leaving.

At 12:21 p.m. on February 6, 2021, the mother’s white Jeep Grand Cherokee was taken with her baby still inside. The Minneapolis Police Department contacted the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) at 12:52 p.m. about issuing an AMBER Alert.

Janell Twardowski, Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator

“The situation met Minnesota’s AMBER Alert criteria for a stranger abduction, so the BCA quickly worked with the Minneapolis Police Department to gather the information and issue an alert,” said Janell Twardowski, Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator.

BCA issued the AMBER Alert at 1:49 p.m. through the Minnesota Crime Alert Network, Wireless Emergency Alert, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Under the Minnesota plan, the EAS messages are broadcast on radio and television and a Crime Alert is distributed to media outlets statewide.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are sent to all compatible cellphones in Minnesota. The alert is also shared on social media and goes to electronic highway signs and billboards.

“It was winter in Minnesota; the weather added a heightened concern with the low temperatures that day,” added Twardowski.

The AMBER Alert was heard and seen by thousands of Minnesota residents, including Barbara Gusse. She saw the alert on her phone while she was feeding the birds outside her Brooklyn Center home.

Gusse grabbed her birdwatching binoculars and focused on a SUV that had been idling for about 20 minutes at a church parking lot across the street. She checked the license plates and discovered the plate was an exact match with the vehicle in the AMBER Alert.

Gusse contacted the police at 2:40 p.m. Seven minutes later, police confirmed the child was safe and asked for the alert to be canceled.

WCCO reporter Justin DeRusha interviewed Gusse shortly after the child was found. DeRusha’s cellphone interview was shared on Twitter and has since gone viral with more than 300,000 views. “I was crying,” Gusse said. “I’m just so happy. I could hear that little thing crying when they opened the door. I’m just glad he’s OK.”

Gusse said she is not a hero—just a grandmother of nine who wanted to make sure the child was safe. The Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator said Gusse’s actions played a significant role in the safe recovery of the child.

“Her keen awareness to notice the vehicle parked in her neighborhood and quick actions to notify authorities were remarkable and were exactly what we ask the public to do when an AMBER Alert is issued,” said Twardowski.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was so impressed with what happened he named February 9, 2021, as “Barbara Gusse Day.” The mayor posted his delivery of the proclamation on Facebook.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presents Barbara Gusse with the “Barbara Gusse Day” proclamation

“You are that important to our city,” said Mayor Frey. “You certainly saved a life and you should be honored. We as a city are eternally grateful for (your) attentiveness and swift action that led to the heartwarming end of a terrifying day.”

Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Plan has been operational since 2002. BCA has issued 39 AMBER Alerts as of May 1, 2021. Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Program has established many partnerships that provide resources to disseminate AMBER Alert information as quickly as possible throughout Minnesota.

Twardowski said training and preparedness are instrumental when issuing an AMBER Alert. Each alert is different she said, so continuous education and training is needed to ensure AMBER Alerts are activated smoothly and effectively.

“The AMBER Alert Plan worked just as it is meant to work,” said Twardowski. ” Working with our partners and the public to find missing and abducted children is rewarding work. I am honored to be part of the AMBER Alert Program in Minnesota.”

It took only moments for ten-month-old Amila Spratley-Apkey to vanish. Amila’s mother Breesha Spratley left her car running in the driveway with her daughter in the backseat in Ogden, Utah, at 10:45 a.m. on November 4, 2020. The mother ran into her home to use the bathroom and her friend who was in the car also decided to go into the house.

When the mother returned, her car and infant daughter were gone.

Spratley called 911 for help. The Ogden City Police Department determined the situation met the criteria for an AMBER Alert and began gathering as much information as possible before initiating an alert.

Ogden Police Department Technical Agency Coordinator (TAC) Angie Turner entered the alert into the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Utah Criminal Justice Information System (UCJIS) at 11:16 a.m. The alert was activated just moments later at 11:30 a.m.

Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminalists Alex Martinez

Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminalists Ofa Vaisima and Alex Martinez began their positions as AMBER Alert co-coordinators just two months earlier in September. Vaisima was the on-call coordinator November 4th and issued the alert to law enforcement agencies, businesses, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Trucking Association, and all media outlets.

A Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) also sent details about the abduction to all cellphones in Utah. The wireless alerts reach approximately three million cellphones throughout the state.

Ogden Police Captain Timothy Scott set up the Area Tactical Analysis Center (ATAC) and briefed dispatchers about the potential for an overwhelming number of tips.

“Cases like this involving non-family or unknown suspects heighten the concern significantly,” said Ogden Police Captain Jacob Sube. “It becomes imperative to locate the child as soon as possible to reduce the risk of harm. We also had concerns of the child being abandoned in the cold or being physically harmed by the suspect.”

Investigators on scene continued gathering information from interviews and shared their updates with the police command center.

Citizens Respond

Mindy Michelle and her sister, Tiffany Bingham, saw the AMBER Alert on their cellphones and decided to help with the search for the missing infant. “I was just bawling because I felt so drawn to this Amber Alert,” Bingham told a Deseret News reporter.

The two sisters spotted a car without a license plate that matched the missing vehicle. “I don’t know how, but I knew that that was the car, and I knew she was in this neighborhood,” added Michelle.

Breesha Spratley is reunited with her daughter, Amila Spratley-Apke

They called 911, started looking for the baby on their own, and ultimately heard a baby crying. They found the infant on a porch in their neighborhood, but the car was nowhere in sight. “I just grabbed the car seat, and I picked her up,” Michelle said, “and I said, ‘Hi, baby!’”

When Ogden police officers arrived, they found one sister cuddling the child and the other one on the phone with a 911 dispatcher.

“The two women who participated in the locating and safekeeping of this child are prime examples of how important it is to be observant of your environment,” said Ogden Police Officer Nigel Bailey. “They realized the seriousness of the situation and acted quickly and appropriately to keep this child safe.”

In the meantime, a DPS helicopter spotted the missing car and began following it. Officers from the Ogden Police Department and Weber County Sheriff’s Office began a pursuit and eventually arrested a 20-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman at 12:30 p.m. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 12:51 p.m.

Vaisima breathed a sigh of relief and felt gratitude for the two sisters who responded to the alert.

“Their quick thinking and effort ensured the safe recovery of the child,” said Vaisima. “We are also grateful to all the other citizens who contacted the police with tips and information.”

Improving Utah’s AMBER Alert

The arrests and safe recovery are an important milestone for what has been a whirlwind year for the Utah AMBER Alert program. This AMBER Alert was the seventh in 2020; the highest number of alerts Utah has ever issued in a single year. All seven alerts resulted in safe recoveries.
The DPS had also been working during the past year to address concerns they were having regarding use of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). DPS stopped using the WEA system until technical issues could be resolved to ensure the public receives the best and most accurate information.

“For a long time, we’ve been talking about how to get a message to as many people as humanly possible,” said Joe Dougherty, DPS Director of Public Affairs. “This is one tool that allows us to hit a person in every pocket and every purse where they’ve got their cell phone.”

The WEA messages now contain a link to access the latest information about a child abduction. The Utah AMBER Alert coordinators also created a blackout period between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. when alerts would not automatically go to cellphones. Depending on the circumstances, law enforcement agencies can still request a WEA during this time frame.

“Each AMBER Alert definitely teaches us something to help us the next time an alert is issued,” said Vaisima. “With this AMBER Alert being as successful as it was, we learned the changes we are making and have made are leading us in the right direction. We will be able to use this success and information gathered from this alert in future training, which will ultimately help us with any future alerts.”

The DPS is also updating its AMBER Alert program policies and procedures. The coordinators will continue training officers and have several training events scheduled this year.

“It is really important to understand the way different systems work, the needs of the public, and how new technology may improve the AMBER Alert program,” added Vaisima. “Doing these things helped with the success of this alert.”

In the end, the victim’s mother is grateful so many were working together to bring her daughter home safely. “I really appreciate you guys being there and being a good place for her to be,” Spratley said to a reporter. “That’s really awesome, that there’s good people out there still.”

From the Dallas Morning News: “For the first time, police said they have DNA evidence that someday — with new technology that has solved other high-profile cold cases — could be the key to finding her killer.”

A hallmark of surviving families is their strength and resilience in keeping hope – active and intentional – alive in their child’s case. In working with law enforcement to

support the investigation, and in sharing their experiences and learnings with other families to support them, they do not give up, nor give in. They strive, they share, they help, they persevere.

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) is honored to work with law enforcement and surviving families across the nation. We stand committed to continuing our efforts to provide training, resources, and opportunities for collaboration and learning. We work for continuous improvement in the protection of children; and the efficacy of response by law enforcement and other professionals working to safely recover endangered, missing and abducted children.

Read full story here: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2021/01/13/25-years-after-amber-hagermans-kidnapping-heres-why-detectives-stay-hopeful-for-a-breakthrough-in-her-case/

Photo by Tom Fox, Staff Photographer with Dallas Morning News: A large painted mural adorns a memorial for Amber Hagerman, the little girl who was abducted on her bike and later found dead in Arlington, Texas in 1996.

The mother of one-year-old Mateo Alejandro Montufur-Barrera was pushing her son in a stroller when a man snatched the child at gunpoint. Leslie Barrera put up a fight and ripped off a piece of the abductor’s plaid shorts, and one of his red and black shoes.

The kidnapping took place at 12:33 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2020, in Chamblee, Georgia. The victim’s mother called the Chamblee Police Department to report the abduction. Barrera said her baby was only wearing a diaper and a Batman t-shirt and was taken in a maroon SUV or van.

“It’s an experience no parent wants to experience,” said Chamblee Police Chief Kerry Thomas. “It becomes personal. It becomes a mission to get everything we have available for a successful outcome.”

Detectives found surveillance video from the apartment complex showing the vehicle was a maroon Acura SUV with a paper dealer tag. Officers made careful note of specific details of the vehicle, searched their license plate reader (LPR) system, and found an image of the vehicle taken just before the crime; the vehicle displayed a paper tag.

Through further searches in the LPR system, earlier images of the vehicle bearing a valid metal tag were found. Although the suspects had switched to a paper tag just before the crime, the prior LPR images, some from days before, gave officers the lead they needed to identify a suspect. Police requested a helicopter to help find the SUV.

The Chamblee police officers also enlisted the help of the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). The GBI has a partnership with the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), which handles 24-hour communications for AMBER Alert activations. An AMBER Alert was issued at approximately 3:15 p.m.

The AMBER Alert, known in Georgia as Levi’s Call, was sent to law enforcement and broadcasters. Abduction details were shared on electronic highway signs. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) were sent to cellphones in the area.

GSP Trooper First Class Johnathon Nelms received a call about an AMBER Alert in the area. Nelms surveilled an address associated with the suspect’s vehicle when he saw the SUV. At the same time, Chamblee Assistant Chief Mike Beller arrived on the scene and saw the vehicle leaving the residence.

Nelms initiated a felony traffic stop. “I got out of the car, drew my service pistol and started giving commands for the driver to get out of the vehicle and get on the ground,” said Nelms.

Beller used his squad car to block the suspect from fleeing. He assisted the trooper in the arrest of an adult man and a woman who was disguised as a man.

The child was safe but was also disguised as a girl with female clothes and pigtails. Another boy, 9 years old, was also in the vehicle.

“You think the man upstairs put you in position to save that child?” a WSB-TV reporter asked Nelms. “Yes, sir I do. Without a doubt in my mind. With the good Lord’s blessing that day, everything lined up just right for the information to be passed out to the officers it needed to be given to, where that child could be returned safe.”

Maynor Dario Valera Zuniga and Kristin Nicole Valera Zuniga (Nash) were taken into custody at 5:03 p.m. and the victim was returned to his mother. The child was recovered less than two hours after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“This was a quick recovery,” said Georgia AMBER Alert Co-Coordinator and Missing Person Clearinghouse Manager Emily Butler. “Our Georgia State Patrol is very diligent in making quick identification and stopping potential suspect vehicles.”

At a press conference, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge J.C. (Chris) Hacker noted it is very rare to have a stranger abduction.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 25 years and this is the first time I’ve personally been involved with a case like this,” said Hacker. “Because it’s so rare and significant, everything has to work out pretty much perfectly for us to have this resolution right here.”

The safe recovery was especially meaningful for Nelms because he has children, and he and his wife are about to welcome another child into the family. “I want to take my hat off to the young mother who fought like a true warrior,” said Nelms.

After the recovery, Chamblee police learned the couple scouted the area for days and chose the victim at random. They had also attempted to kidnap a child from a mother earlier the same day.

“He jumped out and challenged her with a gun, but she ran so fast into an apartment that he couldn’t tell which one she ran into,” said Beller.

However, the mother never called 911 about the attempted abduction. Police believe she did not report what happened because of the possibility of undocumented status and being afraid to contact law enforcement.

“We know some people live in the shadows,” said Beller. “We try to protect all of our citizens of this city, regardless of their immigration status.”

Beller is working with Spanish media to help find the woman in hopes she will provide enough information for additional charges to be filed for the suspects.

Georgia has issued 210 AMBER Alerts since the program’s inception in 2001. Georgia’s AMBER Alert is named Levi’s Call in honor of Levi Frady, an 11-year-old boy who was abducted on October 22, 1997, while riding his bike home. His body was found the next day in a wooded area in an adjacent county. Law enforcement continues to search for Levi’s killer.

A frantic search for a nine-year-old deaf girl took place during a tabletop exercise for the York County Child Abduction Response Effort (CARE) Team in York, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 2020. The drill used realistic documents and involved simulated neighborhood canvassing, checking Megan’s Law offenders, analyzing video surveillance, and utilizing forensic searches and cell phone tower data.

The team was also tasked with verifying tips called into an actual tip line, and eventually found the scenario “victim” safe. Participants also coordinated medical treatment, family reunification, and forensic interview of the child.

“Our best lessons learned have come from ideas and mistakes from the past,” said Lt. David Kahley, West York Borough, Pennsylvania, Police Department and CARE Team Coordinator. “We find out what works and what doesn’t work. For instance, something as simple as keeping track of our investigative tasks on a white board, so everyone knows what has been completed and what needs to be worked on. It helps the team stay on track and prevents repetitive work.”

The exercise involved 36 members from 17 local, state and federal agencies, including investigators, probation and parole, assistant district attorneys, victim/witness coordinators, forensic interviewers, search and rescue specialists, K9 handlers, 911 dispatchers, and logistics coordinators.

Kahley said all members had an opportunity to weigh in and offer ideas to help with the investigation. For example, the forensic interviewer brought up the need for having an interpreter to help during the search and when the child was recovered.

CARE was organized in 2006 and was certified in November 2010 by AATTAP through the USDOJ’s Child Abduction Response Team (CART) certification program. Each new member receives CART training and additional missing person trainings from local investigators.

“After our drill, we complete an after-action report to evaluate ourselves,” said Kahley. “We’ve learned during the past couple years to take everything that worked, improve on it, and fix the things that didn’t work.”

The organization holds quarterly meetings and annual trainings, either tabletop or simulated mock drills. CARE plans to have a full-scale mock drill next year.

Rupert, Idaho, population 5,554, is an agricultural hamlet known for its charm and friendliness. The town is in an area of Southern Idaho known as Magic Valley. On the surface, Rupert would seem like an unlikely setting for a human trafficking case that sparked an intensive search crossing state borders.

During the afternoon of April 16, 2020, the Rupert Police Department received a call from a mother that her 14-year-old cognitively impaired daughter was missing. The Minidoka Sheriff’s Office sent out an Attempt To Locate (ATL) for the missing child.

Idaho State Police (ISP) Dispatcher DeLisa Orren saw the ATL and contacted Rupert police to learn more about the situation and to determine if it qualified for an AMBER Alert. Orren soon found information linking suspects associated with the incident to previous assaults and human trafficking.

Rupert Police Detective Samuel Kuoha discovered text messages indicating the child had been groomed, and was taken around 8:00 a.m. after her mother left for work.

Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinator Tanea Parmenter determined the case met AMBER Alert criteria because the victim was lured away from home and taken across state lines for the purpose of sex trafficking.

The Big Picture

Unfortunately, it is not unique for a vulnerable child living in a small town to be enticed by traffickers through text messages or social media. Consider these findings:

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found human trafficking suspects were most commonly charged with peonage, slavery, forced labor, or sex trafficking (39 percent), followed by the production of child pornography (32 percent) and transportation for illegal sex activity (29 percent). BJS also reports the number of human trafficking defendants sentenced annually to prison has increased more than fivefold from 2000 to 2015, from 132 to 759.
The 2018 Federal Trafficking Report determined over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in the U.S. in 2018 were sex trafficking cases involving only children.
The U.S. State Department of State reported in 2019 a growing trend of traffickers using online social media platforms to recruit and advertise targets of human trafficking.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services notes the average age for a person entering the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old.

Idaho AMBER Alert

In this case, Parmenter helped the Rupert Police Department ensure the missing person record was updated in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and issued an AMBER Alert at 8:23 p.m. through the state’s alerting system, CodeRed. The alert was sent to law enforcement terminals, highway signs, lottery terminals, 511 information, as well as news and radio broadcasts.

The AMBER Alert brought in many tips, including information from people who knew one of the suspects. Those tips helped police obtain the suspect’s cellphone number and determine he was in California. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system was not activated because the suspect and victim were believed to be out-of-state at this point.

“We were confident we were doing all we could to help find her; however waiting to hear the outcome of the interaction with officers took quite a while and we were on pins and needles waiting for the investigation to play out,” said Parmenter.

California AMBER Alert

Supervisor and California AMBER Alert Coordinator and Lead Instructor, Sergeant Ed Bertola

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) contacted Rupert police officers at the request of the Idaho State Police (ISP) about issuing an alert in California. Sgt. Matt Whitworth was working that night and consulted with his on-call manager regarding the request from Idaho.

The CHP protocol requires officers to talk to the activating agency to make sure communications are established throughout the investigation. After determining the case met California’s AMBER Alert criteria, CHP issued an AMBER Alert at 9:38 p.m. for seven counties along the I-80 corridor in California.

Supervisor and California AMBER Alert Coordinator and Lead Instructor, Sergeant Ed Bertola said, “It can be tricky to activate for another state because we need to be sure it meets our criteria and there’s good evidence there’s a nexus to California, and that the victim is in our state. AMBER Alerts are most effective when you have good information to give the public and our allied agencies.”

The California AMBER Alert was sent to law enforcement, broadcasters, highway signs, lottery terminals, schools, and businesses that have agreed to post the alerts on electronic signs. By law, California must create its own flyer with information about the suspect and victim. The WEA message includes a link to Twitter with the flyer information included.

“We were just trying to think of other avenues for what we could do,” said Whitworth. “We were seriously worried about the victim.”

Meanwhile, Rupert detectives found information about a second suspect who might still be in Idaho. ISP issued a second AMBER Alert through WEA at 11:00 p.m. in several Southern Idaho counties.

Also, CHP undertook a massive search of databases to glean information about the suspect and his vehicle. They activated license plate readers in an attempt to locate the suspect’s vehicle and began tracking the suspect’s cellphone.

CHP officers from multiple areas descended on a location obtained from the cell phone ping and identified the suspect’s vehicle at a rest area in Truckee, California, at 1:04 a.m. on April 17. They called for backup and then approached an older woman inside the car who said everyone in the vehicle was part of her family.

“We were disappointed when they found the car and one of the two suspects and the victim we were looking for weren’t there,” said Whitworth. “It was devastating that this could be a false report.”

The CHP officers did not give up searching after hitting this roadblock. CHP was still receiving pings from the victim’s cell phone in that location, so they conducted an exhaustive search of the large rest area. A swift yet thorough search of the area presented challenges, including many other vehicles, large buildings, and a groundcover of new snow.

While searching the back area behind one of the buildings, an officer spotted what appeared to be a fresh set of footprints leading to a densely wooded area. They followed the footprints in the snow for about 150 yards and found the suspect and the victim hiding behind a large tree. “They had a ‘Spidey-Sense’ that something was wrong,” added Whitworth. “We are very relieved we found the victim, I definitely slept well that night.”

The suspects were arrested, and the child was placed with child protective services. Three other juveniles, who were with their non-custodial mother, were also located with the Idaho teen.

Lessons Learned in Idaho

Idaho’s AMBER Alert coordinators Leila McNeill and Tanea Parmenter are grateful for the CHP’s cooperation and quick action. “We were excited to hear the victim was located safely and they were able to catch the suspects before they got too far into California,” said Parmenter. “We are also extremely fortunate to have an experienced dispatcher catch the ATL and take the time to ask questions, knowing that potential existed that this could be more than ‘just a runaway.’”

Orren humbly dismisses any personal credit for what happened. “A successful AMBER Alert is all about teamwork,” she said. “There are no jurisdictions, diversified agencies, state borders or egos. It is all about everyone working together, doing their part, for the good of the victim. The AMBER Alert system works because of the dedication of each person to the safe rescue of the child.”

Looking back, Parmenter said training and practice helps to ensure policies and procedures are in place to support quick activation and dissemination of AMBER Alerts. A press release was sent after the alert to explain the AMBER Alert process overall, and why WEA was not used initially.

She said this case is an important example of why AMBER Alert coordinators should stay connected with coordinators in other states. “Suspects rarely stay in the same state; building a relationship with the other states assists in the quick recovery of the child and suspects.”

“We work in law enforcement because we care,” added Leila McNeil. “We strive to do all we can to help those in need during the most harrowing time a family can imagine.”

Lessons from California

California Highway Patrol Sergeant Matt Whitworth

As AMBER Alerts are still relatively rare in the larger scheme of law enforcement’s work, Sgt. Whitworth noted the importance of other emergency alerts utilized in notifying the public. He said the experience gained from issuing the other alerts helps him keep up on what needs to be done to issue an effective alert.

Sgt. Bertola emphasized that AMBER Alert coordinators, law enforcement officers and telecommunicators must listen and look for indicators of sex trafficking when responding to calls/reports, because more and more often there is a connection between trafficking and missing children.

He said this case is a good example that officers should never give up—even when leads initially point to confusing or contradictory information.

“The officers could have said, ‘Good luck’ but they took the information and followed their gut and held the people for an extended period of time to figure this out,” said Bertola. “They didn’t give up on what they thought was happening. All the technology in the world doesn’t substitute for determination or good police work.”

Both Bertola and Whitworth have children, and they say that experience gives them extra motivation to find missing and abducted children.

“At the end of each alert you hug your kids differently,” said Bertola. “I’ve often tried to put myself in a victim family’s place. I couldn’t bare the loss in this type of situation. The CHP is dedicated to do whatever we can do and develop any technology we can to make the amount of time a family is separated the shortest time possible and get every child back safely.”

“It does give extra motivation when you have kids of your own,” said Whitworth. “It’s why you sign on to do this job in the first place, because you want to help people. We want to do the right thing and do the best job we can.”

Sergio Anaya Alcantar, 18, was charged with felony rape and kidnapping. Alcanter’s stepfather, Carmelo Villanueva Galarza, 35, was charged with kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor under 16.

Idaho State Police Director Kedrick Wills said dispatcher DeLisa Orren’s extra efforts exemplify the agency’s goal of changing and saving lives. “The action DeLisa took that night made the difference between this girl being returned to her family and being abducted by people who could have caused her harm.” Orren humbly dismisses any personal credit for what happened. “A successful AMBER Alert is all about teamwork,” she said. “There are no jurisdictions, diversified agencies, state borders or egos. It is all about everyone working together, doing their part, for the good of the victim. The AMBER Alert system works because of the dedication of each person to the safe rescue of the child.”

Maggie Kenney was sitting on her front porch when she saw a man grab a young girl and push her into his car. She immediately started screaming at her husband to call the cops.

“I’m screaming, yelling to wake up the neighborhood,” said Kenney to a reporter. “(The girl) was saying ‘Stop! Put me down!’ It was terrible.”

The abduction took place at 1:26 p.m. on January 15, 2020, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 11-year-old was taken while she was walking home after getting off her school bus. Kenney told police the abductor was driving a blue two-door Honda Civic.

Detectives searched the area and found a home security camera had captured video of the suspect’s vehicle and the victim moments before the abduction. The video also showed the same vehicle following the girl the day before.

The Springfield Police Department (SPD) media relations officer began contacting local news outlets and posting information on social media about the stranger abduction while detectives prepared information for an AMBER Alert. SPD and the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) coordinated swiftly to move the AMBER Alert activation forward. MSP provided activation guidance at 3:35 p.m. SPD submitted photos of the suspect’s vehicle to MSP by 4:14 p.m.

The police department issued a press release at 5:15 p.m. with the name, age, a physical description, and photographs of the endangered child, along with the location and time she was last seen, and a description of the suspect vehicle. The AMBER Alert was issued at 5:20 p.m.

Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator Sergeant Nicole Morell — Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator
Sergeant Nicole Morell

“A child’s life and safety is at stake and we want to engage the public across our entire state, so everyone can help us look for that child and the person who abducted her,” said Sergeant Nicole Morell, Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator.

The MSP sends AMBER Alerts to law enforcement via directed messages and broadcasts, and to the public through television and radio broadcasts, website and social media pages, and public transit stations and electronic highway signs. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) also deliver these critical messages and updates to the public.

“This was the first stranger abduction in Massachusetts since the AMBER Alert system was implemented in this state in 2002,” said Dave Procopio, MSP Media Communications Director. “Naturally, there was great concern for this child’s safety, and a determination by everyone involved in the process at MSP that we would keep working until she was found.”

Emergency dispatchers were flooded with calls, including numerous motorists who said they spotted the suspect’s car, beginning around 7:15 p.m. The license plate number information received from tips was fed into automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems to locate the vehicle. MSP Troopers also started slowing the traffic in that area by reducing the highway to one lane.

Amanda Disley and her husband saw the vehicle and started following it. Their son was in the back of the car live-streaming the event.

“I hope they find that girl, I really do,” Disley said in the video “It’s got me sick to my stomach. I cannot imagine being that mom. I can’t imagine how that mom feels.”

They lost sight of the car, but other motorists called 911 to report the vehicle was fleeing from the city of Chicopee. State troopers stopped the vehicle at 7:20 p.m. and arrested the 24-year-old perpetrator. The missing girl was recovered safely from the back seat. Troopers found a knife in the car door pocket.

“I felt tremendous relief,” said Procopio. “The AMBER Alert only works when civilians take time to listen to the information and commit themselves to remain alert as they go about their lives. That is what happened in this case, and we are eternally grateful to the civilians who helped us rescue this girl and apprehend her abductor.”

Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood held a press conference after the ordeal was over. “What happened is I think every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said. “The biggest factor [in the safe recovery] was the assistance of the public. The tips coming in were amazing.”

MSP has issued 28 AMBER Alerts involving 36 children and has a 100% rate of safe recovery. Apart from the January 15, 2020, alert, the other 27 AMBER Alerts issued to date in Massachusetts all involved perpetrators who were known to the abducted child or members of the child’s family.

As information started coming in about the stranger abduction, the Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator was actively communicating with coordinators in other states. At the same time MSP was responding to this abduction, Rhode Island was preparing to issue a Senior Alert. Morell said the strong relationships with other AMBER Alert partners helps make each state’s program work better.

“The process works; trust it,” added Morell. “Trust your instincts, your knowledge, and expertise. This being our first stranger abduction, we knew we had to work fast to get accurate information out to the public.”

MSP determined years ago to release information about a possible abduction to the public as soon as possible. This results in more people looking for the victim sooner and provides the media much-needed information when the AMBER Alert is issued.

“We realized that the news and information flow is continuous and, in an emergency, needs to be as instantaneous as possible,” said Procopio. “A child’s safety and life are at stake, and we want to engage the public across our entire state, so they are helping us look for that child and the person who abducted her. An AMBER Alert activation has a lot of moving parts, and it’s important that everyone involved knows their unique responsibilities and fulfills them satisfactorily and as quickly as possible.”

An after-action review found everyone fulfilled their roles well, but determined the AMBER Alert protocol and intake/request form need to be updated to reflect current technology.

The abductor in this case was charged with 3 counts of aggravated rape of a child with force, indecent assault, battery, kidnapping, witness intimidation, and assault with a dangerous weapon on a child under the age of 14. The judge in the case ordered a psychiatric evaluation for him.

The victim’s parents issued a statement to thank the motorists who followed the suspect “for their vigilance and courage for putting themselves in harm’s way to make sure she wasn’t out of their sight.” They also thanked the law enforcement officers, doctors, social workers, and everyone involved in the AMBER Alert. “The outpouring of love and support, near and far, is overwhelming. We are eternally grateful."

A 17-year-old girl was taking a break from her job at a Wendy’s restaurant in Jerome, Idaho, when she disappeared without any of her belongings. Earlier that day, the restaurant’s manager had ordered the employee’s ex-boyfriend to leave for making threats against the girl and her co-workers.

Eighteen-year-old Miguel Rodriguez-Perez had a protective order against him for multiple incidents of domestic violence and seriously injuring the girl. An FBI agent contacted the Idaho State Police about issuing an AMBER Alert at 3:13 p.m. on May 20, 2019.

Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinators Leila McNeill and Tanea Parmenter had to consider whether the situation met the criteria for an alert.

“With the suspect’s actions on the night of her disappearance and the possibility that he may hurt her again, we decided it was prudent to issue an AMBER Alert,” said Parmenter. “We were really concerned for her safety and felt he could potentially fatally harm her.”

The alert was issued at 4:37 p.m. for the suspect, including a description of his black Audi A4, and the victim was reported to be wearing her Wendy’s uniform.

All Idaho AMBER Alerts are sent statewide to broadcasters, highway road signs, 511 (traffic/roadway information) and lottery machines. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a Wireless Emergency Alert to notify all mobile devices in the state.

Detectives traced the suspect’s cellphone to Las Vegas, Nevada. Idaho State Police contacted Nevada authorities and a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) was issued to state law enforcement.

At the same time, the FBI received a tip about a Facebook post indicating Rodriguez Perez was on his way to Surprise, Arizona. Officers knew the suspect had ties in Arizona and Mexico and were concerned he would take the victim across the border.

Arizona AMBER Alert Coordinator Chrystal Moore with the Arizona Department of Public Safety received the request to issue an AMBER Alert in her state at 6:13 p.m. Moore issued the alert because she believed Idaho had credible evidence the suspect and victim were in Arizona.

“We were concerned for her safety, due to the history of violence,” said Moore. “We were also worried he may have already hurt her and she might not be with him by the time we would find him.”

The Arizona AMBER Alert was distributed to all law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, highway signs, the Child Abduction Response Team, U.S. Marshall’s Office, Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration–and Mexico’s Alerta AMBER coordinator in case the suspect and victim crossed the border.

A member of the public notified police about seeing the suspect’s car in Surprise, Arizona. Local officers initiated a pursuit that ended when the suspect ditched his car and fled with the victim.

Police body-camera video shows the officers approaching the car with guns drawn. They soon found the suspect hiding with the victim in the bushes near a bank.

“The person who flagged down the police was a hero,” said Moore. “This person directly assisted in the recovery of a victim of abduction.”

Moore has been involved with all 28 AMBER Alerts issued in Arizona. She said federal, state, tribal and local agencies worked flawlessly together to resolve this case. She believes Idaho deserves extra credit for looking out for the best interest of the victim.

“I was thankful she was found safe,” added Parmenter. “I was proud of the investigators, dispatchers, and everyone involved; [of] how hard they worked to locate the victim and suspect.”

Parmenter said it was helpful to have a protocol and criteria in place before the alert. Idaho issues a test alert each month to make sure everyone knows what steps to take.

This multistate alert included challenges and lessons. For example, this was the first time the FBI had asked Idaho to issue an AMBER Alert on its behalf.

“It was an eye opener to remember that more agencies need to be involved with training and practice,” said Parmenter. “This includes all federal, tribal, state and local agencies. It also means considering all law enforcement officers and investigators from the Forest Service, Probation, and Fish and Game.”

Training is also critical to the success of Arizona’s AMBER Alert program. The state has a monthly test for the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) as well as a weekly test for the state alert system.

“Each alert is different and has its own inherent difficulties,” said Moore. “The only challenge was that the media was monitoring law enforcement channels and obtaining information shared at the scene about the cell phone being pinged by the FBI. This could have been detrimental to the case if law enforcement was not right on top of the vehicle at the time the media released this information.”

The case underscores the importance of careful strategies for interstate and cross-border collaboration, and when and how law enforcement shares information about cases through public alerts. Idaho and Arizona were well-trained and ready; despite the suspect taking the victim more than 700 miles away from her home, it was not far enough to evade these states’ finely tuned AMBER Alert programs and dedicated personnel.

The sun was barely up when a man hiding in the backseat jumped up inside his ex-girlfriend’s van in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. At 6:34 a.m., June 7, 2019, Jeffrey Lo allegedly struck the woman in the head with his pistol. Police say Lo pushed her into the passenger seat and drove off with the woman and their two daughters, ages one and three.

After traveling a short distance, the woman was able to get out of the vehicle. Lo sped away with the two girls in the van.

A passerby saw the “extremely distraught” and bloodied woman leaping away from the van and screaming that her children had just been kidnapped. They attempted to follow the van and quickly called police.

“A Good Samaritan stopped to help the mother and immediately called 911,” said Janell Twardowski, Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Coordinator. “The local police department then called the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to activate the AMBER Alert.”

A request was made for an AMBER Alert at 7:25 a.m.

Early Threats

In May 2019, a judge had granted a protective order for the woman against Lo. According to court records, Lo was abusive to the woman after the birth of their first daughter and threatened to kill her.

A few months earlier she said Lo started pulling her hair and punching her arm for sleeping on the floor instead of with him. The judge also gave sole custody of the girls to their mother.

“Her immediate call to 911 was crucial in ensuring a fast and immediate response, “Cottage Grove Public Safety Chief Pete Koerner told a reporter. “It was a tragic incident. I really feel for those children.”

Koerner said officers had a lot of things running through their heads after learning the suspect had a handgun.

The AMBER Alert

After determining the case met the proper criteria, an AMBER Alert was issued at 8:27 a.m. The alert was sent to all partners throughout Minnesota, including notifications to a law enforcement helicopter and K9 officers.

The original alert was issued with the wrong vehicle model. An updated alert was quickly sent out with the correct information. Because the mother was taken immediately to the hospital to treat her injuries, authorities had to issue the alert with only the ages of the children--but not their names.

The limited information did not stop the public from calling in tips to help law enforcement agencies narrow their search. Officers found the missing van parked on a street a few miles from the original kidnapping location, but no one was inside.

The police helicopter spotted the suspect in heavy underbrush. Officers on foot found Lo lying on his back, clutching the girls next to his chest. Both children were recovered unharmed at 10:27 a.m., exactly two hours after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“It was a relief when the children were located safe,” said Twardowski. “It’s the exact outcome we all hope for in these instances.”

Preparation Is Essential

Minnesota has issued 36 AMBER Alerts, but this was the first alert for Twardowski. She said training and having solid procedures in place were critical in getting the AMBER Alert out so effectively.

“With every AMBER Alert, time is of the essence to disseminate the information out to the public,” she said. “Everyone in law enforcement makes sure they are ready, so children can be recovered as quickly as possible.”

This case included help from a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter, the Department of Natural Resources, three local K-9 units and ten other law enforcement agencies.

Good Samaritan Honors

The Cottage Grove Police Department presented Christina Kelley with the Citizen Commendation Award on August 21, 2019, for stopping to assist the mother and helping police recover her children.

“I feel like I was meant to be there to help her, save her and get those kids back,” Kelley said. “I don’t think I would change anything I did that day. I would still help, because that’s just who I am.”

The mother of the abducted children said five cars passed by as she screamed for help. Kelley was the first one to stop.

“She changed my life that day,” the mother told a reporter. “I could have died that day.”

What began as a runaway case changed after Ogdensburg, New York, police learned a missing 15-year-old girl may have been threatened and held captive by her boyfriend. The threat prompted officers to ask the New York State Police (NYSP) to issue an AMBER Alert for Olivia Roberts.

Roberts was reported missing on December 12, 2018, after meeting with her 27-yearold boyfriend, Kenneth Snyder. A month earlier, Snyder was charged with unlawful imprisonment for forcefully restraining her during a domestic violence incident. But Snyder fled from police as he was about to be transported from court to a secure facility.

On December 19, Roberts didn’t show up after she asked a friend to pick her up. The same friend was then blocked from Roberts’ Facebook account. He told police he was concerned Snyder may have taken control over Roberts’ Facebook account. That same day Ogdensburg police asked the public on social media to help them find Roberts. At 6:51 p.m. on December 20, a family member told police that Roberts made a call using Facebook and was screaming frantically for someone to come get her. The family member then heard a male voice asking what she was doing and the call suddenly went dead.

“There in fact was a particular incident and that’s what led to the criteria change that led to the AMBER Alert,” said Ogdensburg Police Detective Mark Kearns.

NYSP received the request for an AMBER Alert; agents first made sure the child and suspect had been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). They also started gathering information and photos of the child and suspect for the state’s web-based public notification system for AMBER Alerts.

“We always have concern for the victim in every case we receive,” said NYSP Investigator Michael O’Connell. “We felt this child was being held against her will and in danger of serious bodily harm or death, thus meeting our criteria.”

The AMBER Alert was disseminated at 8:16 p.m. through faxes, emails, text messages, phone calls, highway signs, lotto terminals, broadcasters and social media. New York residents can also sign up to get the alerts at https://alert.ny.gov/.

The NYSP Computer Crimes Unit contacted Facebook and learned the device Roberts used to make a call may have been in Massena, New York. Massena police officers arrived at an apartment and two adults claimed Roberts wasn’t there.

Both adults were arrested after police discovered they told Roberts to go out a window and hide on the roof. Snyder was later found and taken into custody. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 9:30 p.m., a little more than an hour after it was issued.

“We were relieved to learn the child was recovered safe and unharmed,” said O’Connell. “It was a challenge to have people helping the suspect and child avoid the police.”

New York has issued 89 AMBER Alerts since the program began in 2002. O’Connell has been involved with 20 alerts since 2016. He said lessons are learned with every alert.

“This case reiterates a need for continual communication with requesting agencies as new information develops,” he said. “We train often and try to prepare as best as we can.”

Thanksgiving weekend is usually the time for family reunions, but for one Houston family it involved a frantic search for a two-year-old child. During the evening of November 24, 2018, Jatavia Bookman called the Houston Police Department (HPD) to report Prentis Curtis had taken her son Jeremiah Lambert and the family’s blue Dodge Nitro without permission.

“Initially this case was treated as a missing persons case,” said HPD Homicide Lieutenant Zachary Becker.” Jeremiah’s mother did not initially consider him at risk because he was in the care of a trusted family member who was late returning home.”

That night the family started handing out fliers at the apartment to see if anyone had seen their child. The following day Jeremiah was still missing and the family called police at 12:36 pm. to request an AMBER Alert.

“The mother eventually told us the person was not an actual family member and she believed he was suicidal,” said Becker.

HPD contacted Beth Alberts, CEO of Texas Center for the Missing (TCM) and director of the Houston Regional AMBER Alert Program, at 4:36 p.m. with the request to issue an AMBER Alert. Alberts determined the case met the criteria for activation.

“The suspect was a felon out on parole and under ankle-monitoring supervision with a curfew,” said Alberts. “He violated curfew and was seen on a video in a drug-infested area after abducting the child.”

Alberts issued the alert at 4:54 p.m. by entering the information in the Houston Regional AMBER Alert online distribution system. The system sends emails to all regional media, law enforcement, transportation and individuals who sign up to receive the alert. She placed the information on Facebook and Twitter, and also contacted the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Endangered Child to send out a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA).

A citizen saw the alert on the local news and called 911 after recognizing the suspect and vehicle. Police found Curtis and the child at a local hotel at 6:03 p.m.

“I’m grateful the system worked so well and so quickly,” said Becker. “We had the child located and recovered unharmed within about one hour.”

The family was relieved Jeremiah was safe after hours of panic and worry. “I can breathe now. I felt like I was dead out here. I couldn’t breathe. I can breathe now,” the victim’s grandmother, Avis Knox, told the local KTRK news station.

The alert was canceled at 6:26 p.m. and TCM sent an after-action report to police at 7 p.m.

“I am relieved he is safe and happy to have been a part of his recovery,” added Alberts. “I am also grateful the suspect is in custody and has been charged with kidnapping.”

HPD says having a close relationship and getting training from TCM helped in the quick recovery of the victim. The supervisor involved in this case had taken part in an AMBER Alert training for 20 new officers on November 14, just 10 day s before the event.

“Having that pre-existing relationship, along with frequent training, reduces obstacles and makes our operation function quickly and smoothly when it’s critical,” said Becker.

Even though this AMBER Alert was successful, Becker said HPD learned some valuable lessons. In examining the patrol officer’s initial interview and operating from the mother’s initial position that the child was safe, they recognized more intensive interview is needed early on in these types of cases.

“This case highlighted for us the need to have a much more thorough interview with the reporting person from the start,” he said. “Having an investigator conduct a comprehensive interview in a formal environment would likely have led to learning pertinent facts sooner and probably a quicker resolution to the entire incident.”

Alberts said this incident shows the AMBER Alert is an effective tool for finding endangered children quickly and safely, but emphasized the importance of AMBER Alert program personnel collaborating closely with the law enforcement agency handling the investigation. “True cooperation can make the difference between life and death for some of these vulnerable children.”

The Houston Regional AMBER Alert program began on December 7, 2001, and has issued 188 alerts for 228 children with a 95 percent successful recovery rate. To date, 216 children have been recovered alive, eight were recovered deceased, but were discovered more quickly because of the alert. Four children remain missing.

Everyone involved in the safe recovery of Jeremiah says they will always be motivated to do everything possible to find missing children.

“One of my favorite parts about being an AMBER Alert Coordinator is that feeling of being a part of a team of people all working toward the same goal—quickly recovering a missing child,” said Alberts. “I am incredibly proud to be involved in the AMBER Alert program.”

“Children are the most vulnerable and innocent people in our society,” concluded Becker. “Knowing how quick action can potentially prevent terrible outcomes motivates me to try to work these cases as aggressively as possible.”

Six-year-old Brooklyn Vance was staying with her aunt in Ashtabula, Ohio, while her mother was out of town. Connie Nelson, the girl’s grandmother from Las Vegas, was also staying at the home and decided to take the child.

At 9:30 a.m. on June 12, 2018, the aunt woke up and discovered the girl and her grandmother were gone, as well as all of the child’s clothes. The aunt called the Ashtabula Police Department at 11:14 a.m. to report the girl missing.

Police learned Nelson had mental health issues and an “unhealthy infatuation” with her grandchild. Family members feared she was planning to take the child to Las Vegas and the only way she had to get there was by hitchhiking.

Officers asked the Cuyahoga Emergency Communications System (CECOMS) to issue an AMBER Alert at 2:08 p.m. after determining the case met all four criteria for the alert:

The child is under 18 years of age.
There is credible information the child was forcibly or intentionally removed or lured away from her location and remains missing.
The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger of serious bodily injury or death.
The law enforcement agency has sufficient identifying information on the child, and/or alleged abductor(s), and/or alleged abductor’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will be beneficial in identification efforts.

CECOMS handles emergency communications in nine counties in Northeast Ohio. It is the only independent agency in the state authorized to issue AMBER Alerts. The agency has a goal to issue an AMBER Alert within 20 minutes; this alert was issued just two minutes later at 2:10 p.m.

Christopher Minek, CECOMS operations supervisor and Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert coordinator

Christopher Minek serves as the CECOMS operations supervisor and the AMBER Alert coordinator for Northeast Ohio. “We knew we needed to complete the AMBER Alert broadcast to our region as soon as possible,” said Minek. “We hoped the AMBER Alert would prevent the grandmother from taking her out of the region and possibly the state.”

The alert, along with photographs and additional information, was distributed to the National Weather Service, Ohio State Highway Patrol, local media outlets and LAMAR Advertising billboards. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was also notified to disseminate the alert via the Wireless Emergency Alert system. Nearby airport, bus stations, train stations and cab companies were also contacted about the situation.

CECOMS also activated the new AMBER Alert Family Response Plan. The Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Committee recently created the plan to gather information from family members of the victim and help them after an alert has been activated.

“The goals of the Family Response Plan are to provide crisis stabilization, trauma informed communication and a sense of hope that reunification is possible,” said Minek.

9-1-1 telecommunicators received three accurate tips from the public within 15 minutes after issuance of the AMBER Alert. Nelson was found at 3 p.m. walking with the child, ten miles from where she was taken. The girl was unharmed and the grandmother was taken into custody for interference with custody, kidnapping and inducing panic.

“The citizens who called in the tips are the real heroes,” said Minek. “They took the time to remember the detailed suspect and child description and then assisted without hesitation in a stressful and active situation to bring the child home. There are no words that can describe the joy of watching a child be reunited with their family after such a traumatic incident.”

“We want to thank the public for assisting us; that’s how we were able to recover the girl so quickly,” added Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell. “We could not be more pleased with the outcome.”

The Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Committee reviewed the case following the incident, determining it indeed met all of the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

Minek said the key factors in the successful recovery were having an effective AMBER Alert plan, contacting all local transportation hubs, and training with law enforcement agencies. “The City of Ashtabula Police Department and CECOMS established early and effective communication during the AMBER Alert activation,” he said. “Through our communications we were able to relay information with extreme efficiency.”

Still, the Northeast AMBER Alert partners will continue to refine their AMBER Alert plan. “We learn something new every time we have an AMBER Alert activation,” concluded Minek. “Our plan is always evolving to keep up to date with the latest technology and procedures.”

Emergency 9-1-1 telecommunicators in Saguache County, Colorado, received a call from a father who was concerned because his twelve-year-old son had been missing for three hours. It was Saturday, June 23, 2018, and the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office gathered information and sent a message about the boy to other local law enforcement officers in case he might be in the area.

The sheriff’s office asked for an AMBER Alert to be issued on Saturday night, but CBI had some concerns about the criteria.

“We declined the AMBER request based on the facts we had at the time,” said Jillian Ganley, Colorado AMBER Alert Coordinator. “We suggested an Endangered Missing Person Alert. We also offered investigative assistance and let the agency know we would be willing to issue the AMBER Alert if any new information was uncovered during the investigation.”

The sheriff’s office began to conduct additional interviews and collaborated with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the FBI to gather additional information. They discovered the missing boy was likely with a 60-year-old man who was known to have a dubious reputation.

“The suspect belonged to a group of individuals known to approach children in parks,” said Captain Ken Wilson, Saguache County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re a small community with more than 3,000 square miles and 10,000 people, so we all need each other and look out for each other.”

On Sunday, June 24, deputies determined the boy was in danger and they had enough information to meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert. CBI issued the alert at 8:26 p.m. through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which sends the information to Colorado law enforcement, media outlets, highway signs and state lottery terminals.

CBI then sent the information through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), a system which sends text alerts to all cell phones in the area. However, after issuing the WEA, they discovered some cell phone users received multiple notifications of the AMBER Alert, while delivery to other cell phone users was delayed. CBI contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance with sending the alert through WEA to ensure complete distribution.

“In the end we learned several cell service providers were not able to accept the formatting of a dash included in the message,” said Ganley. “We now know to avoid special characters if at all possible, and to type the message directly into the software instead of copying it and pasting it in.”

The sheriff’s public information officer also posted the information on Facebook. “People started sharing it like crazy,” said Wilson.

Even though they were looking for a boy believed to be in danger, everyone involved in the search did their best not to get too emotional during the investigation. “We try as best as we can to be detached and analytical,” he said. “We need to make sure we have everything we need to find the child. It helped us all to know something is being done and people are looking.”

“After every AMBER alert we issue there is an uneasy feeling until the children are found,” added Ganley. “However, we must remain focused to ensure everything possible is being done to bring these children home safely.”

At 9:50 p.m. that same day, a tip came in on Facebook that the boy was seen that morning in Hanksville, Utah. At 11:30 p.m., the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in Utah received a call from campers who said they were approached by two people without clothes asking for food and water. Deputies immediately responded to the call but did not find anyone.

On Monday, June 25, dispatchers received a call at 9:40 a.m. stating “a young boy and an older man were both naked at the Bear Paw Resort,” according to the law enforcement report. “This description matched the AMBER Alert that dispatch had received the night before.”

Upon immediate response, deputies found the suspect and victim and confirmed they were the subjects in the AMBER Alert. The man was taken into custody and the boy was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

“I always feel very relieved and thankful after every successful AMBER Alert,” said Ganley. “I am so glad we were able to reunite this young boy with his family. This is the ending we hope for after every alert we issue.”

“I’m happy for the family,” added Wilson. “I’m happy for the child.”

According to the law enforcement report, the victim said they had spent the night without clothing and slept under a tree. The suspect was charged with child kidnapping, lewdness involving a child and reckless endangerment. He may also face federal charges.

The Colorado AMBER Alert coordinator said it was helpful to have so many law enforcement officers, including CBI agents, sharing information from the scene. “Every AMBER Alert requires a unique mix of training, experience, instinct, quick thinking and a lot of teamwork; and this alert was no different,” said Ganley.

Looking back, Wilson said training helped in the search, but he credits his public information officer for getting the information out to so many people. He said the most important lesson he learned from this case is the need for getting enough information quickly to meet the AMBER Alert criteria.

“Make sure your focus is correct,” he said. “Make sure you meet the criteria before you jump the gun and do everything else. You can’t just say you need an AMBER Alert, you have to meet the criteria. Otherwise every missing child report would be an AMBER Alert and they wouldn’t be as valuable as they are.”

Ganley agrees that determining the facts for an AMBER Alert is critical. “My best advice would be to have as much communication as possible with those on scene,” she said. “All AMBER Alert incidents are very fluid situations, and this one was no different. By having an open line of communication, we were able to send the alert very quickly after new information was learned.”

Colorado has issued 91 AMBER Alerts since the program began in April 2002. The state’s first AMBER Alert was issued in August 2002.

Police take down suspect in Washington AMBER Alert activation

Washington AMBER Alert Coordinator Carri Gordon was in the middle of a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training when she received an email requesting an AMBER Alert for a case involving a five-year-old boy and custodial interference. The email was sent by the Lake Forest Police Department at 12:03 p.m. on March 28, 2018.

Gordon stepped out of the training to get more information. She talked to Lake Forest Police Chief Stephen Sutton and other officers to determine if the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

The police said Taraille Chesney took his non-custodial son. At 11 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call and could hear arguing before the call ended abruptly. When police officers arrived, the suspect drove away recklessly at a high rate of speed. Officers chased Chesney, but he got away.

“We were working with the state patrol to identify the criteria,” said Chief Sutton. “We were hung up on one criteria, ‘Was the child in danger?’”

Washington AMBER Alert Coordinator Carri Gordon

Gordon works for the Washington State Patrol and knew the police chief, as they had worked together before. “I received clarification that the child had been taken by force from his custodial grandmother,” said Gordon. “The father was also known to law enforcement as being violent in the past and had outrun police earlier this same day.”

After determining the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert, Gordon entered the alert at 1:24 p.m. through the state’s LEAP system, which sends emails and faxes to law enforcement, media, transportation and other stakeholders.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also sent the alert to public cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. The Washington State Emergency Management Division activated the Emergency Alert System and the Department of Transportation activated highway signs.

“I knew once the vehicle information went out that the calls would begin immediately, and they did,” said Gordon. “Within minutes of the WEA activation the public began calling 911 with sightings of the vehicle within the city limits of Seattle,” said Gordon.

After a short chase, police say the suspect was involved in multiple car collisions and rammed a Seattle police car, ultimately being surrounded by law enforcement vehicles. As police had their guns drawn, Chesney got out of the car and was taken into custody.

Officers took the boy out of the car moments later. News helicopters captured the arrest and the victim was later seen sitting with an officer on the trunk of a police car clutching a stuffed animal. The child was recovered 45 minutes after the AMBER Alert went out.

“The AMBER Alert system worked flawlessly,” said Chief Sutton. “Our partners in law enforcement did a fantastic job getting the suspect into custody.”

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, custodial interference, assault, violating a protection order, eluding police and driving under the influence.

“The alert was so effective in that it safely and quickly recovered the child,” said Gordon. “I think this is a great example of how the system is intended to work and we would not have had such a quick and successful conclusion without the help of the public.”

Gordon says this case will also serve as a lesson in the future on the importance of finding out quickly whether a child is in danger.

“I just believe this alert is a great example of how all of the various aspects of the AMBER Alert system work together to get the word out to the public,” said Gordon. “We rely on them to help recover abducted children, which is our goal with AMBER Alerts. We can always do better and should continue to learn from each success.”

This was Washington’s 86th alert since the program began in 2004.

A booby-trapped home, a burning truck and an armed, suicidal father high on methamphetamines sparked Idaho to issue an AMBER Alert and initiate a massive search in Idaho and Nevada. Joshua Dundon picked up his six- and seven-year-old daughters from school on the morning of May 10, 2017 and then disappeared.

The following day hikers saw a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado rushing up a hill in Eureka County, Nevada. When they hiked back they called 911 after hearing a gunshot, discovering the truck was on fire and witnessing a man talking to a child hidden in the trees.

Boise Police Department notified the public about the missing father and two endangered daughters, Jaylynn and Madison, on May 13. Officers later received information Dundon had been in a methamphetamine-fueled state of paranoia. They also found a house filled with holes in the walls and that had been booby-trapped to start a fire by leaking natural gas.

That same day the Eureka Sheriff’s Department determined the truck belonged to Dundon. Seeing news coverage of the missing girls, they contacted the Boise Police Department.

On May 15, Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinator Dawn Peck of the Idaho State Police received a request from the Boise Police Department to issue an AMBER Alert. Peck determined the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

“The taking of the children without notice, the evidence at his home and the burnt-out truck caused the investigating agency to request the AMBER Alert and I agreed to do so,” said Peck. “Although under the national guidelines the girls were missing for well over 12 hours, in Idaho we err on the side of the children and issued the alert because of the evidence in the case.”

Dawn Peck, Idaho State Police, Bureau of Identification Manager, Statewide AMBER Alert Coordinator

Peck authorized the AMBER Alert at 1:13 p.m. and it was issued at 1:43 p.m. The alert was sent to law enforcement, broadcasters, highway signs, Emergency Alert System, the state lottery system and to people who signed up to receive alerts by email.

Boise Detective Angie Munson had asked Nevada to also issue an AMBER Alert but the state said it did not meet its criteria because authorities were no longer looking for a vehicle.

“Our public information officer contacted the media in Nevada and Utah and sent them a news release requesting coverage of the missing girls,” said Munson.

That same day Eureka County Sheriff’s Office organized search and rescue teams including searchers on four-wheelers, horseback and in the air. They found survival gear, weapons and ammunition but not the father and two girls. Authorities became more concerned because temperatures were dropping and it was starting to rain.

“We were fearful for the safety of the children,” said Peck. “There had been witnesses to the truck being burnt and they heard a child, but we had no idea where they went from there or if the children were hurt.”

At 5:30 p.m. an adult male walked into a ranch wearing cutoff sweat pants and a hoodie. He told the owners he needed help. Vera Baumannn told KTVB her husband recognized the man as the suspect in an AMBER Alert and called the sheriff’s office.

“He was very cold, he was hungry, he was thirsty and he could hardly walk because he had walked in about two miles,” said Baumann. “He said he left (his daughters) behind. He knew they were not going to make it so he walked in for help.”

Searchers started searching the area around the ranch and found the girls 90 minutes later hiding under a tree. They were hungry, bruised and suffering from frostbite. Police had been yelling for the girls but the youngest daughter was so terrified she was afraid to speak. The older daughter finally called out for help.

Authorities learned Dundon told his daughters their house had been burned down, their dog had been poisoned and their mom and the police were trying to kill them.

“The girls were incredibly strong and showed great courage to survive in the conditions they faced,” said Eureka County Sheriff Keith Logan. “We would like to thank all of the agencies, personnel and citizens who were so instrumental in in helping locate and recover these young ladies.”

The suspect was treated at a hospital and booked into jail. The two girls were also hospitalized and received treatment for exposure, kidney failure and frostbite. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 10:02 p.m.

Detective Munson said this case showed her how AMBER Alerts can be a powerful tool to find abducted children. “It not only helps with the recovery of the children, but also–as in this case–identified the path traveled and provided additional leads for the investigation.”

Boise Police issued this statement from the victim’s family. “They say they are grateful to the community for sharing information while the girls were missing and for their thoughts and prayers. They also want to thank the Nevada law enforcement officials and community members who helped (in the) search.”

Peck said she is glad she made the call to issue the alert. “Authorities said the girls would not have been able to survive much longer in the conditions. Do not adhere to the national guidelines so closely that you pass an opportunity to save a child.”

She also urged AMBER Alert coordinators to know their counterparts in neighboring states and how to contact them. “The only challenge and lesson learned from this case has to do with keeping our list of coordinators and procedures for requesting a state to rebroadcast our alert up to date.”

Idaho has significant experience with issuing AMBER Alerts for other states. Since the state started its child abduction alert program in 2005, Idaho has issued 30 AMBER Alerts, including reissuing eight alerts from other states.

Dundon accepted a plea deal in September 2017 and admitted to felony custodial interference. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2017, including eight years before being eligible for parole.

Content courtesy: Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley | www.aanbv.org

On Tuesday December 5, 2017 Officers with the Navasota Police Department responded to a report of an abducted child as part of a planned field exercise in conjunction with the Brazos Valley Child Abduction Response Team (BVCART).

Throughout the day over 70 responders from 26 different agencies participated in the drill to work on improving the skills necessary in these extremely important cases as well as building partnerships throughout the Brazos Valley.

The exercise included professionals from a variety of disciplines including Police (Local, State and Federal agencies), Fire, Emergency Management, Search & Rescue, Information Technology, Public Safety Telecommunications, Volunteer Groups, EMS and many more. The following agencies had representatives participate in the all-day exercise:

In the early morning hours of September 3, 2017, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida received a call about an abduction. A convicted felon kidnapped an 11-year-old female relative and then dragged her into the woods.

The child’s grandmother woke in the middle of the night and discovered the girl’s room was locked. She picked the lock and discovered a 50-year-old man sexually abusing the girl. The man grabbed the child, who was screaming hysterically and naked from the waist down. He ran into the woods, continuing to sexually assault her.

The suspect had been incarcerated at least eight times since 1989 and was released from prison in 2014. He then married a relative of the victim.

Deputies arrived at the home in Apopka, Florida, within minutes after the 911 call was placed. Search dogs were brought in and a command post was set up. A BOLO (Be on the Lookout) message was sent to all law enforcement in the area.

When the suspect and the child could not be found, Orange County Corporal Benjamin Thorpe decided an AMBER Alert was needed to give the child the best chance of survival.

“The decision to move forward with an AMBER Alert was based off the manner in which the suspect abducted the victim into the woods and his past history of sex abuse,” said Thorpe. “I was concerned, based on training and statistics, that the victim may have been deceased.”

Detectives gathered information about the child, suspect and significant events surrounding the investigation to support the alert. At approximately 7:00 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had a

conference call with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Assistant Special Agent in Charge, the Regional Special Agent Supervisor and the AMBER Alert Coordinator to discuss issuing the alert.

“The case clearly met the AMBER Alert criteria,” said Florida AMBER Alert Coordinator Lyndsey Pitts. “We believed the child was at risk of great bodily harm or death and there was a clear indication of an abduction.”

The AMBER Alert was issued by the FDLE at 7:23 a.m. and notifications were sent to the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Lottery and all law enforcement agencies in the state. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system deployed an alert text message to all cell phones in Florida.

The AMBER Alert was broadcast on television and radio, posted on social media and sent to everyone in Florida who signed up to receive AMBER Alerts by email.

The FDLE Child Abduction Response Team (CART) was also activated to assist the Orange County Sheriff’s Office with a door-to-door search. More than 100 law enforcement officers from several agencies took part in searching for the child.

About three hours after the alert was issued, a member of the public who saw the alert on TV discovered the victim. “The victim was banging on the windshield of an abandoned vehicle,” said Thorpe. “I am very thankful and proud that a member of the community intervened and notified law enforcement.”

“Everyone at FDLE and all law enforcement involved were pleased with the child’s safe return,” added Pitts.

Florida AMBER Alert Coordinator Lyndsey Pitts

Florida has issued 217 AMBER Alerts since 2000. Thorpe has investigated several missing child cases, but this was his first AMBER Alert request. He said the investigation did have some challenges, which included tracking all of the law enforcement officers from different agencies needed for the investigation and managing the numerous tips received to protect against duplication or loss of important leads.

Thorpe offered this advice for other AMBER Alert partners. “Use resources effectively. Manage the information as it comes in and delegate responsibilities to trustworthy sources. Do not be afraid to push forward with the AMBER Alert once you have the appropriate information and meet the criteria.”

The father of the victim posted his thanks on Facebook for everyone who helped find his daughter. “I want to thank the community for [coming] together to help find her but most of all I want to thank the police officer[s] who [were] out there helping to find my baby.”

November 20, 2017*: An AMBER Alert for a missing 12-year-old girl has been canceled after she and her alleged abductor were found safe in Des Moines following a traffic stop on I-235.

Beyonce Carrasco was reported missing around 3:00am from her home in Denison. Police believed she was with 13-year-old Rodolfo Penaflor, Jr. traveling in a 2016 Nissan Sentra.

Around 2:00pm the suspect vehicle was spotted on I-235 in Des Moines. After a short pursuit the vehicle was stopped near the Euclid exit. The Iowa DOT reports both Carrasco and Penaflor were found safe inside the vehicle.

“We had an AMBER Alert resolved quickly in Iowa yesterday,” said Terry Cowman, Special Agent in Charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. “It started a rural area of the state and was a runaway situation that evolved into an Alert due to threats of violence. They were found safe about two hours later in Des Moines thanks to a call from an alert citizen.”

File this one under “success.” Great work!

*Image and information source: http://whotv.com/2017/11/20/amber-alert-canceled-both-subjects-found-safe/.

A mother was carrying groceries into her home when a teenager jumped into her white SUV and sped off. The vehicle was running, the keys were still in the ignition and her 11-month son was still strapped in his car seat. The Baltimore, Maryland, Police Department got the call at 1:30 p.m. on October 26, 2016.

Police officers originally reported the case as a carjacking because of a language barrier with the mother. They soon found out about the child inside the vehicle.

Sergeant Deborah Flory of the Maryland State Police is also the state’s AMBER Alert Coordinator. She was in a parking lot and headed to an interview on an unrelated case when she received information about the abduction and AMBER Alert request at 2:05 p.m.

“My partner and I always have our laptops with wireless routers ready so we are able to get an AMBER Alert out without delay from our vehicles,” said Flory. She quickly determined the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert: the victim was under the age of 18 and police had verified the abduction; the carjacking showed the child was in danger and descriptive information was available for the public about the suspect, victim and vehicle. The AMBER Alert was issued at 2:34 p.m.

“I am always on pins and needles until I find out the child has been located and I can cancel the alert,” said Flory.

The AMBER Alert was distributed to all law enforcement agencies and media in Maryland, including the state’s Coordination and Analysis Center, Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons, Highway Administration and Lottery. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was also notified. The alerts were posted on social media, highway signs, toll booths and cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). The vehicle’s license plate was also entered into the state’s license plate reader program.

Charlmaine Wilson and Omar Parrine were walking along the street when they received the AMBER Alert on their cell phones; they spotted a toddler matching the alert description in his car seat on a sidewalk next to a porch.

“It’s cruel, unbelievable and don’t make sense,” said Wilson to WJZ-TV. “I thought it was a doll baby but when I went towards the house, it was a real baby.”

“The baby was kicking, crying and screaming,” said Parrine. “I usually don’t take this way home from school but something told me to take this way today. It’s a blessing.” Police recovered the child at 4:00 p.m. and the AMBER Alert was canceled 5 minutes later. The baby was unharmed, but taken to the hospital as a precaution. The stolen SUV was located and the suspect was taken into custody.

Flory felt relief when the child was found and is thankful for the 2 young people who responded to the alert. “That is what makes the AMBER Alert system work,” she said. “The alert is reaching everyone and they did their part.”

She also credits the Baltimore police officers for acting quickly. “They made the decision and requested the alert within 30 minutes after the child went missing,” said Flory “This is key for recovering a child.”

Maryland’s AMBER Alert program started in 2003 and Flory has been the coordinator since the beginning. She shares duties on the Child Recovery Unit with Corporal Chris Heid. They also oversee Silver Alerts, critical Missing children cases, parental abductions and cases involving juvenile victims of human trafficking for the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force.

During the past 14 years, Maryland has received 160 requests to issue AMBER Alert, approving activation of alerts in 39 cases. Flory and her team work hard to swiftly yet carefully make decisions in these cases, making sure AMBER Alerts are used when the required information is available, and then issuing an alert so the public can help bring the child home safely. Flory has this simple advice for everyone else involved with AMBER Alerts: “Be prepared.”

On June 6, 2017, a 14-year-old girl with a history of suicide attempts and other mental health problems went missing in Georgia. The Gordon County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office received a call at 11 a.m. from the girl’s mother and reported she saw her daughter the night before, but she was gone when she went to look for her in the morning.

Detectives discovered surveillance video of the girl at a hotel in Calhoun, Georgia. They also learned she left with an adult male and female she had met through social media in a blue 2017 Subaru Impreza. The Sheriff’s Office contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) about the alleged kidnapping and the possible issuance of an AMBER Alert.

“I was worried for the welfare of the child and began reviewing what else could be done to recover her,” said Georgia AMBER Alert Coordinator Brad Parks.

“I was also concerned about the mental health of the victim and the fact adults traveled from outside the state to remove her from her medical care,” added Georgia Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager Emily Butler.

Georgia issued an AMBER Alert at 4:30 p.m. on June 6, 2017. The alert updated notified law enforcement, media and social media platforms, and was posted on transportation signs. Data on the suspects’ vehicle was also placed into license plate recognition cameras.

The GBI also asked the Tennessee Bureau of Identification (TBI) to issue an AMBER Alert, as the agency had cell phone information indicating the victim and suspects were traveling to that state.

Tennessee AMBER Alert Coordinator Margie Quin explained that Tennessee, under its AMBER Alert plan, is able to issue an alert for another state after answering two questions: “It has to meet our criteria,” she said. “There also has to be a nexus to Tennessee; we have a reason to believe they are here, or coming here.”

The Loudon County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Department began pursuing the suspects’ vehicle after they spotted a reckless driver. At 10:30 p.m., the 14-year-old victim was found safe in the vehicle with no injuries. Deputies took the female driver and male passenger into custody.

“I think anytime a child is found quickly after an AMBER Alert is issued, that is evidence the system works,” said Quin.

Everyone involved in this case believes cooperation and relationships were key factors in making this AMBER Alert work.

“The TBI and GBI have really close relationships. We work together and we meet with each other,” added Quin. “This is not just a telephone relationship. When you have a critical relationship, it is not going to take an hour to find the right person to talk to and get things done really quickly.”

“The aspect of established contacts with individuals within state agencies is priceless,” added Parks. “It is important to have the ability to directly contact the people who can respond without any ‘red tape’ or lag time.”

Parks and Quin urge all AMBER Alert partners to get to know their counterparts in other states. “Do not wait to establish working relationships with surrounding states,” said Parks. “Have those numbers, names and processes ready and accessible.”

“Know who to call,” added Quin. “Time saves lives.”

“The TBI and GBI have really close relationships. We work together and we meet with each other. This is not just a telephone relationship. When you have a critical relationship, it is not going to take an hour to find the right person to talk to and get things done really quickly. Know who to call. Time saves lives.”

-Tennessee AMBER Alert Coordinator Margie Quin

“The aspect of established contacts with individuals within state agencies is priceless. It is important to have the ability to directly contact the people who can respond without any ‘red tape’ or lag time.”

-Georgia AMBER Alert Coordinator Brad Parks

On August 8, 2016, detectives in King County, Washington, learned of the alleged abduction of 2 boys by a suspect on his way to Chicago. Paul Brown allegedly took his 3-year-old son Chance and 1-year-old son Hunter and told their mother he would not return.

The children had been taken 3 days earlier, with Chance having a condition requiring tube-feeding and medication. Chase’s father did not have the supplies nor the training to feed him. Detectives requested an AMBER Alert be issued in South Dakota after they discovered Brown had recently made a credit card purchase in that state.

South Dakota AMBER Alert Coordinator Bryan Dockter was out of state at the time, but Bryan Gortmaker and Bonnie Feller Hagen with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were on site to take the 8:22 p.m. call.

The Washington detective called 25 minutes later and provided information from a Seattle hospital that the situation for the older boy had become dangerous and life-threatening.

“We decided to activate to try and recover these endangered children,” said Feller Hagen. “Securing the safety of the children was our number one priority.”

Photos and additional information were gathered and the AMBER Alert was issued at 10:14 p.m.

The alert was posted on the state website, emails were sent to state employees, and citizens signed up to receive alerts began receiving messaging notifications. The Emergency Alert System notified the media, National Weather Service, 511, highway signs and lottery terminals.

The state’s FUSION center sent a text and email to all law enforcement in the state and an audible message was broadcast over law enforcement radios. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children activated a Wireless Emergency Alert to reach all cell phones across the state.

“I was feeling a sense of urgency,” said Feller Hagen. “We wanted to get the information out rapidly and accurately and get the information out while people were still up and watching the evening news.”

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was also underway that night requiring a large presence of law enforcement. The popular event also resulted in large numbers of people on the road who might spot the suspect’s vehicle.

Within minutes a trucker and an Indiana sheriff’s deputy spotted the suspect’s white Pontiac with Washington license plates and called 911. Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Natasha Mendelsohn was driving home through South Dakota and said she has a habit of scanning vehicles and plates.

“I cried,” said Mendelsohn to a WTTV reporter. “It was more tears of happiness that we knew that these children were now safe.”

When she got home she shared a call to action on Facebook: “More people can help other people just by being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to what’s going on around you. And had we not taken the quick second to look at that vehicle, we may not have been able to help the way we did.”

The children were taken to a nearby hospital for medical care and Brown was arrested and charged with abuse or cruelty to a child.

“I am amazed at how quickly everything came together with the help of public and the cooperative efforts of law enforcement,” said Feller Hagen.

This was the sixth AMBER Alert issued in South Dakota since the state started the child abduction alert program in 2003. The state is now implementing the AMBER Alert LEAP portal to streamline the activation procedures and improve the time required disseminate an alert. A significant lesson learned from this AMBER Alert is how important it is to know your AMBER Alert partners in other states.

“Keep your state AMBER Alert program active and meet and test your system regularly,” said Feller Hagen. “Working together for the safety of children is the primary goal.”

It started with a scuffle at the Utah Division of Child and Family Services on May 5, 2016. Christopher Montoya and Monica Martinez were “combative, threatening and agitated” because they could no longer see their two daughters. The courts had taken away the couple’s custody rights and witnesses said they appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Suspects Christopher John Montoya & Monica Martinez

Christopher John Montoya and Monica Martinez left the agency and drove to the babysitter’s location for 3-year-old Marae Montoya and her 11-month-old sister Cynthia. The couple grabbed the two children without permission from their legal guardian and drove away in a white 4-door Cadillac sedan.

Clinton, Utah, Police Sergeant Matt Fawbush was assigned to the case after a call from the babysitter came in at 3:08 p.m. The Clinton Police Department had never issued an AMBER Alert and it was also the first time the 14-year law enforcement veteran had to consider issuing an alert.

“I tried to remain calm and rely on my training and experience,” said Fawbush. “I have been a member of the Davis County Child Abduction Response Team since 2007 and actively involved in many cases; however no prior AMBER Alerts. I also attended several training sessions in state and out of state on the topic of missing and abducted children.”

Fawbush started gathering information from family members, witnesses and investigating officers. The police department assessed the incident against the AMBER Alert criteria and determined the children were in danger for the following reasons:

The parents were believed to be under the influence of a controlled substance.
Both parents had mental health issues, violent tendencies and were transient.
The couple no longer had custody and had a no-contact court order based upon a history of domestic violence while the children were present.

“I had a sense of urgency and wanted to cover all aspects of the investigation to assure the quick and safe recovery of the children,” said Fawbush.

A Missing/Endangered Advisory went out to law enforcement at 7:43 p.m. and the statewide AMBER Alert was issued at 10:39 p.m. Fawbush also reached out to law enforcement in Colorado in case the suspects traveled through that state.

“The decision to issue the AMBER alert could have been sooner,” said Fawbush. “There were a few problems getting the alert entered and issued in a timely manner.”

A clerk at the Motel 6 in Gallup, New Mexico, recognized the suspects when the couple requested a room around 2:00 a.m. the next day. The clerk saw the AMBER Alert on social media, verified the vehicle matched the description in the alert and notified police.

“The media played a huge role in disseminating the information to the public on a large scale, which ultimately helped with the recovery of the children,” said Fawbush.

Utah AMBER Alert Coordinator Gina McNeil & Clinton, Utah, Police Sergeant Matt Fawbush

Gina McNeil has been Utah’s AMBER Alert Coordinator for nearly 3 years. She is also the state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager and has been actively involved in all 43 AMBER Alerts issued by Utah. McNeil has helped to develop and strengthen Utah’s child abduction alert system since its inception in 2002.

“Any time a missing child is located safely it is a happy occasion,” said McNeil. “I think we have one of the best AMBER Alert programs in the Nation and the AMBER Alert has saved the lives of hundreds of children. There is nothing better than that.”

The Utah AMBER Alert Committee has a review with law enforcement agencies after each alert is issued. The review is a chance to find out what worked and what can be done better the next time.

“You learn from every alert and continue to improve the system each time,” said McNeil.

“Communication is the key,” added Fawbush. “Everyone involved in the process must be on the same page and work together to fine tune the procedures set in place.”

The suspects were returned to Utah and initially charged with two counts each of child kidnapping and one count of burglary. They both pleaded guilty to two counts of custodial interference. Their two children are now safe with their legal guardian.

The investigation unfolds

Surprisingly swift resolution

"The girls were kept in some pretty bad places and mistreated. They were very happy to be rescued."

In a Bad Spot

Amusement Park By-Pass

Research Pays Off

Successful Recovery

Key Takeaways

Citizen makes fateful call after multiple state AMBER Alert partners work together to recover missing Tennessee children

California Checks In

Chance Sighting

Lessons Learned

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CASE

AMBER Alert issued

Lessons learned

Recognition for a job well done

Citizens Respond

Improving Utah’s AMBER Alert

Photo by Tom Fox, Staff Photographer with Dallas Morning News: A large painted mural adorns a memorial for Amber Hagerman, the little girl who was abducted on her bike and later found dead in Arlington, Texas in 1996.

Georgia AMBER Alert, License Plate Readers, and Help From "The Man Upstairs" Leads to Safe Recovery

Pennsylvania Team Practices Skills in Exercise to Find an Abducted Child

Victim's Family Says the Outpouring of Love and Support is Overwhelming

AMBER Alerts in Idaho and Arizona End With Dramatic Rescue of Victim Hidden in Bushes

Good Samaritan + AMBER Alert = safe return of two abducted girls in Minnesota

New York Issues AMBER Alert for Teen Who Initially Went Willingly With Her Captor

Houston Police Dig Deeper to Issue AMBER Alert and Rescue Endangered Toddler

Ohio AMBER Alert Prevents Child from Being Taken to Las Vegas by Hitchhiking Grandma

Colorado AMBER Alert helps find boy wandering naked and hungry in Utah

“…Protecting Children, Preparing Responders, Educating Communities…”

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