U.S. Briefs – AMBER Advocate

Highlighting the efficacy of specific public instructions during at-risk searches, the Madison Heights (Michigan) Police Department successfully recovered Johnathan S., a non-verbal 6-year-old with autism, following a localized emergency notification. Unlike standard AMBER Alerts, this targeted digital alert mobilized residents while crucially advising them to remain indoors or in vehicles to preserve scent trails for K-9 units. The strategy succeeded when a neighbor, heightened to the crisis by the alert, returned home to discover the child playing in his shower. The incident underscores two vital learnings for Coordinators: the value of "scent preservation" instructions in public messaging and the persistent attraction to water for neurodivergent children, extending even to indoor plumbing.

A coordinated law enforcement response and a swiftly issued Missouri AMBER Alert led to the safe recovery of two siblings, aged 10 and 8, just 45 minutes after activation. The children were abducted in the Northland area by 27-year-old Lyrick Bryson. The alert included critical vehicle descriptors (a silver Infiniti with a temporary Missouri tag). This information allowed Kansas City Police to locate the suspect vehicle and children in south Kansas City. The rapid resolution highlights the effectiveness of seamless cross-jurisdictional communication between the Missouri State Highway Patrol and local agencies.

A multi-state AMBER Alert successfully resolved the Jan. 31 abduction of a 4-year-old from Mansfield, Texas. The speed of recovery, just six hours from the initial 8:50 a.m. call to the 2:40 p.m. arrest, highlights the efficacy of rapid data entry, and the Mansfield Police identifying the suspect’s vehicle path into Missouri. Leveraging interstate databases allowed Missouri Highway Patrol to locate the stolen Toyota Corolla shortly after the alert broadcast. This case underscores how cross-jurisdictional intelligence and license-plate-reader hits are vital when suspects flee across state lines during the critical response window.

Between September 2025 and January 2026, the Memphis Safe Task Force—a joint operation uniting the TBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and allied agencies—safely recovered 146 high-risk missing children. Establishing a dedicated, specialized missing child unit backed by continuous, actionable intelligence from criminal analysts dramatically increases recovery rates. A standout success involved a 15-year-old missing from a Tennessee juvenile facility. Following a NCMEC tip, TBI Special Agent Emily Keifer swiftly coordinated with local and federal partners in Honolulu, Hawaii. By engaging Hawaii’s AMBER Alert Coordinator, Amanda Leonard, to manage logistical hurdles, the teen was safely located the next day. This highlights that cross-jurisdictional cooperation and robust state-to-state networking are essential for rapidly rescuing youths.

Highlighting the complex decision-making involved in modern abductions, the Martin County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) successfully recovered two sisters, aged 12 and 15, by strategically delaying an AMBER Alert to maintain a tactical advantage. Investigators determined the suspect, 19-year-old Hser Mu Lah Say, was actively monitoring digital channels. Fearing an alert would cause him to flee or harm the victims, detectives instead commandeered the family's device, impersonating relatives in chats to track his movement along I-75 without revealing law enforcement involvement. This "silent pursuit" allowed the Georgia Highway Patrol to intercept the suspect's Honda CR-V in Lowndes County just minutes before the alert was scheduled to launch. The case offers a vital case study for Coordinators on weighing the benefits of public saturation against the risks of tipping off digitally savvy predators.

The safe recovery of a 10-year-old in Sioux Falls offers a case study in scene management during weather-critical operations. Facing an Extreme Cold Warning, Sioux Falls Police made the strategic decision to publicly request that community members stay out of the search area to prevent scent contamination. This containment allowed K9 units, rapidly deployed from the Omaha Police Department in neighboring Nebraska, to track the child effectively without interference. The boy was located safe, demonstrating that clear public communication regarding how to help (by clearing the zone) can be just as critical as asking for tips.

Highlighting the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary task force model for recovering endangered runaways who may not meet strict AMBER Alert criteria, officials in Hawaii announced the successful recovery of eight missing children. The initiative, known as 'Operation Shine the Light,' leveraged a cooperative framework between the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, FBI, U.S. Marshals, and local police. The operation successfully recovered two teens who had been missing for over a year, reinforcing a critical takeaway: sustained, inter-agency data sharing is vital for locating long-term missing children.

The Westchester Missing Child Rescue Operation successfully located 46 missing, endangered youth in New York. This three-day intensive search achieved an extraordinary recovery rate through collaboration among over 70 agencies. These rapid recoveries were driven by cutting-edge technology and immediate interagency lead follow-ups. Authorities emphasized that physically locating vulnerable children is only the first step. Connecting them with support services through partners like the Office of Children and Family Services ensures long-term safety, prevents future disappearances, and actively disrupts cycles of exploitation.

Shortly after phones in Prince George’s County, Maryland, began buzzing about a SUV wanted in a suspected child abduction, a group of friends captured the moment they recognized the SUV from the AMBER Alert—and started recording. In a viral TikTok video posted by one of the friends, a gray Volkswagen SUV rolls up alongside them, and they elicit excited recognition. Deciding not to engage with the suspect (as law enforcement had instructed), the clip ends with a short view of the SUV surrounded by police vehicles farther up the road. “Thanks to a great community partnership, an alert citizen [in another vehicle] spotted the AMBER Alert car,” the Prince George’s County Police Department wrote on X. “That citizen contacted [dispatch] who relayed the locations to [us] through our interoperable radio system.” The missing girl was found safe.

As a young detective, Charles Still would pour through files on his desk as he handled upwards of 70 open cases of missing children. Now retired from the Tustin, California, Police Department, he’s tapping into technology to try to streamline the process and reunite families faster. His My Family ID app gathers digital fingerprints and a 3D scan of a child (or at-risk adult). This critical information can be stored on a cell phone—without being shared with a third party—and easily sent to authorities if an emergency arises. Still said the app’s game-changer is that it forces the user to take a photo that can be used with artificial intelligence and is formatted for facial recognition. The $4.99 app is available for iPhones and Android phones.

More than two dozen missing children have been found in Texas after a nearly three-week operation. Ten agencies including the San Antonio Police, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Braunfels Police Department teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Western District of Texas (USMWDT) to make Operation Lightning Bug happen. Local and federal agencies worked together to bring home missing children listed in a local database called the Texas Crime Information Center. Deputies worked from July 28 to Aug. 15 to rescue six sex trafficking victims and more than 30 missing minors. They made at least three arrests along the way. Marshal Jose Nunez with the USMWDT is calling the operation a success. “This was the first time we worked together with our state and local partners with an operation like this,” which resulted in locating missing children and disrupting any type of trafficking networks, he said.

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) became one of the most recent law enforcement agencies to deploy rapid DNA analysis as a cutting-edge investigative tool. Fifteen automated genetic analyzers were deployed across the state as part of a testing program. The machines can generate a DNA profile in less than two hours, helping to quickly connect—or rule out—suspects in crimes, including those involving children. “Aside from investigative efficiency, this technology provides accuracy, fairness, and better outcomes for the communities we serve,” said Colonel Christopher Paris, PSP commissioner. Although rapid DNA can be used in cold cases involving a long-term missing person or one with unidentified human remains, Trooper Sara Barrett said the PSP is focused on using the rapid DNA technology to investigate and help solve current cases.

Age-progressed photos have long been used to help spark new leads in unsolved missing child cases. Forensic artist Lois Gibson spent four decades working with the Houston Police Department, where she sketched age-progressed portraits of children, as well as the likenesses of kidnappers and other suspected criminals. The face behind the faces shared her story—and creative process—as part of a national news feature. Gibson holds the Guinness World Record for the most criminals identified through art: 1,313. But it’s the happy endings she treasures most, such as when her age-progressed portraits reunited three siblings 30 years after being separated at a young age. “If this is the only case I helped solve, it would make my life worthwhile,” Gibson said.

The safe recovery of 60 “critically missing” youth at risk of violence and sexual exploitation and the arrest of eight individuals is being touted as the most successful such mission in U.S. Marshals Service history—and perhaps in U.S. history. William Berger, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, made that statement in praising the approximate 20 law enforcement and child protection agencies involved in “Operation Dragon Eye.” The operation was unique, Berger said, in that it provided debriefing, physical and psychological care, and follow-up assistance for the children, ages 9 to 17. Katherine Gomez, director of Human Trafficking Intervention with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, said each recovered child now has a new opportunity. “It’s a chance, it’s a touchpoint, it’s a connection for that young person and the larger community,” she said. The eight arrests included charges of human trafficking and child endangerment.

“No cold case is ever truly closed.” So said New Haven, Connecticut, Police Chief Karl Jacobson in crediting officers and detectives for their diligence in reinvestigating the cold case of a toddler abducted by her mother. For 25 years, officers knew Andrea Michelle Reyes only by a photo of a smiling dark-haired child in a pink-checked outfit. Reyes was about 2 years old and under custody of her father when her mother abducted her, then was suspected of fleeing to Mexico. Two years ago, Detective Kealyn Nivakoff began to reinvestigate the case. Through interviews, search warrants, and social media, she was able to connect with Reyes in the Mexican city of Puebla. Subsequently, Reyes contacted the man she believed to be her father, who had searched tirelessly for her since the 1999 abduction. Advanced DNA testing confirmed the familial relationship. An arrest warrant for the mother, Rosa Tenorio, remains valid in the United States; she is believed to be in Mexico.

For 11 years, “Missing in Southeast Texas Day” has been bringing resources to families with missing loved ones. During this year’s event in Houston, dozens of families made connections with law enforcement, social services, and forensics experts dedicated to locating missing persons. Family members were able to provide DNA samples, enter information into the National Missing & Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), and file photos and other identifying documents. Texas Center for the Missing organizers say the goal is to reduce the number of individuals buried as unknowns due to lack of a missing person report and give families closure. The Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office were among the partners of the free event.

More than a dozen Good Samaritans are being called heroes after rescuing two children, ages 2 and 6 months, and their mother, from a vehicle fleeing a Jacksonville, Florida, parking lot. Video footage released by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) shows bystanders rushing forward and safely pulling the woman and a child, who were being dragged by the vehicle, and the other child from the SUV. Witnesses provided a detailed vehicle description that led to the driver’s arrest at a shopping center. “The situation could have ended in tragedy,” a JSO social media post stated. “Your JSO is grateful for the quick action and bravery of the Good Samaritans who stepped up.” The driver, Yanni Human, 26, faces multiple felony charges including child abuse and false imprisonment.

TikTok is teaming up with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to bring critical, time-sensitive information directly to people’s “For You” feeds. The goal is to raise awareness of missing children and leverage the power of the U.S. TikTok community to help reunite missing children with their families. The project was piloted in Texas from January to December 2024, when AMBER Alerts were viewed more than 20 million times and contributed to 2.5 million visits to NCMEC’s website. The AMBER Alerts will now reach more than 170 million Americans.

Ohio law enforcement authorities, child advocates, and family members who have or had missing loved ones are teaming up on a newlycreated Missing Persons Working Group. Ohio Governor MikeDeWine tasked the group with reviewing the state’s resources and response to cases of missing children and adults. “The ultimate goal here is to bring more missing people home safely,” DeWine said. Led by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the group will analyze how disappearances are investigated and suggest improvements, as well as study database usage and law enforcement training, and hear from family members with missing loved ones. Group appointee Jonisa Cook, whose 6-year-old son with autism went missing before being found deceased in a pond, said her mission is to turn a tragedy into something positive. “That’s what’s getting me going every day, knowing that I could potentially help someone else, potentially help another family,” she said.

A phone scam in which callers pose as “AMBER Alert representatives” and offer to “register” children has prompted a firm warning to the public from the California Highway Patrol (CHP). “This is NOT how AMBER Alerts work!” CHP posted in a social media alert. Fraudsters contact parents with an offer to “register” their children in a database for use if the child goes missing or is taken. They ask for confidential information and an in-home meeting. CHP warned that it is the only California agency authorized to activate an AMBER Alert and that registration for an alert is never required. The public is urged to alert local law enforcement if a scammer contacts them and to never provide personal information or answer calls from unknown numbers.

Forty-seven missing and endangered children were reunited with their families in a first-of-its-kind rescue operation in New York. More than 55 experts, including 22 law enforcement agencies, collaborated in the mission to locate missing Erie County children who had been taken by non-custodial parents or had run away. “I have 30 years of doing this, and this has been the proudest, most impactful moment of my career,” said Kevin Branzetti, co-founder and CEO of the National Child Protection Task Force. Branzetti and Cindy Neff, manager of New York’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse (and AATTAP/NCJTC Associate), spearheaded the initiative in which law enforcement provided investigative support to Amherst and Buffalo police departments. Investigators gained valuable knowledge and now have “more tools in our toolbox” to tackle future cases of missing children, Branzetti said.

As a growing number of states continue to grapple with tech companies on legislation meant to safeguard children online, Maryland made its Kids Code official by enacting it into law. The Maryland Kids Code prevents tech companies from harvesting data, posting location information, or using dark algorithms pertaining to children. A second part, slated to take effect in 2025, requires the companies to assess and analyze their products for potential harm it could cause children. The measure was contentious throughout the legislative process, with Big Tech lobbyists opposing it; legal challenges could still arise. The legislation mirrors California’s 2022 Age Appropriate Design Code Act, which follows a model established in the United Kingdom.

In 1951, Luis Armando Albino was playing in a California park with his older brother when a woman lured him away with the promise to buy him candy. Instead, she abducted the 6-year-old boy. Seventy-three years later, Albino was found alive on the East Coast, thanks to the tenacity of his niece, the help of an online ancestry test and old newspaper articles, and assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies. After DNA confirmation, the elderly Albino returned to California where he was able to hug his brother and meet relatives he never knew. Aleda Alequin, the niece credited with unraveling the mystery, hopes the story gives hope to other families with missing children. “I would say, ‘Don’t give up,’” Alequin says. The FBI is still pursuing the investigation into the abduction.

The tragic story of a 9-year-old boy with autism who drowned after running away from a children’s home has led to a new missing child alert in Kentucky. The “lan Alert,” named after Ian Sousis who died in 2022, is designed to help quickly and safely recover missing autistic children through a notification system comparable to the AMBER Alert. Children with autism are drawn to water and face drowning as the leading cause of death. The new alert will cover gaps between other alerts and use the same system as the AMBER Alert. Kentucky Emergency Management has been developing policies for implementation after Governor Andy Beshear signed the alert into law. “This is another tool in the toolbox,” said Lieutenant Phillip Ridgell of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

The growing use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is raising concerns about the dangers it poses to child safety, with the Internet Watch Foundation calling it a potential “playground for online predators.” Pedophiles and bad actors are using GAI to manipulate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), with a child’s face transplanted onto the footage, or to create deepfake sexually explicit videos using an innocent photo of a real child. IWF expects more—and higher quality—CSAM videos to emerge as the technology grows. The group is pushing for controls, such as making it illegal to create guides on generating AI-made CSAM. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is also pushing for updates in federal and state laws pertaining to GAI CSAM. Additionally, AI-made CSAM is reportedly overwhelming law enforcement’s ability to identify and rescue real-life victims.

Calling it one of his agency’s “most sacred missions,” U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis vowed that recovering the nation’s critically missing children will remain a top priority. His comment came on the heels of a nationwide operation that recovered 200 missing children, including endangered runaways and those abducted by noncustodial parents, deemed at high risk for danger. The May-June “Operation We Will Find You 2,” the second of its kind, brought together federal, state, and local agencies; the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) provided technical assistance. The search led to the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous situations. An additional 77 missing children were found to be in safe locations. NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune said the effort is a “shining example of the results we can achieve when we unite in our mission to find missing children.”

Working with the Department of Homeland Security, Wayne County, Michigan, law enforcement officers posed as kids on a website where seven men—including a Wyandotte school teacher—thought they were setting up underage sexual encounters. But as each would-be predator made his way to meet the child, Taylor, Michigan, police used Flock Safety cameras/license plate readers (LPRs) to track the men and arrest them as they entered the city (five miles southwest of Detroit). Flock Safety traffic cameras log LPR data (including the vehicle’s make and model) for 30 days, and the information can be shared with law enforcement across the nation.

In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received a staggering 36.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. To counter that, a chilling new interactive video, “No Escape Room,” uses dozens of real-life tipline scenarios to immerse parents and caregivers into a child’s online world, often fraught with peril. Throughout the experience, users are prompted to engage in a conversation with someone they think is another teenager. The friendly, flirtatious chat soon involves requests for nude or sexually explicit photos, eventually trapping the child in a blackmail scenario. The video’s immersive viewpoint shows parents firsthand how children are targeted by predators and struggle to navigate dangerous circumstances. At the end of the experience, users are directed to NCMEC’s resources on sextortion.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed dozens of bills in March that would invest $10 million in support of crime and human trafficking victims. A new formal partnership between Wisconsin Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (WAHTTF) and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) addresses the prevalence of human trafficking in Wisconsin’s Indigenous communities. In April, Wisconsin signed two new missing person alerts into law, an effort to strengthen the state’s existing AMBER Alert system. The Prince Act expands Wisconsin’s missing person alerts for children after the murders of 5-year-old Prince McCree in 2023 and 10-year-old Lily Peters in 2022. In both cases, law enforcement didn’t have enough information to satisfy the strict requirements for issuing an AMBER Alert. As part of the Act, a new Purple Alert includes missing children under age 10 and children under the age of 18 incapable of returning home without help due to a disability.

Police in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, were training to use a new technology called “Project Lifesaver” when an opportunity to effectively use it in real-time came with the report of an endangered missing child with a medical condition. Officers ended their training session and immediately began a search for the child, who to their relief, had previously been enrolled in the nonprofit Project Lifesaver program. The child was found in just 11 minutes using radio technology that tracks signals from a transmitter worn on the child’s wrist or ankle. The technology was developed to protect and locate “at risk” individuals with cognitive disorders and relies on specially trained search and rescue teams to use it. Beaver Dam police have been using the program since 2018, and the officers involved in locating the child are certified as electronic search specialists by the Project Lifesaver International organization.

Imposter scams have been around for years, such as ones involving callers claiming a grandchild has been in an accident or robbed—and needs money. In those cases, would-be kidnappers pose as the grandchild or use generic recordings of someone screaming in the background. These attempts to extort money weren’t always successful, but federal officials are now warning about a new virtual kidnapping fraud that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to clone a loved one’s voice. AI programs are inexpensive, easily accessible, and can create good voice likenesses from just a few seconds of dialogue taken from social media posts. The FBI reports that most scam calls involving AI originate from Mexico and target Latin communities in the southwestern U.S. These sophisticated ruses can be successful, with fake kidnappers stealing an average of $11,000 from each victim. To avoid getting scammed, families are advised not to mention upcoming trips on social media or to give financial information to strangers on the phone. They also should create a family password or phrase that can help identify whether a kidnapping is legitimate.

“Operation We Will Find You” has safely located and recovered 225 endangered missing children, including a 6-month-old infant. Led by the U.S. Marshals Service, which worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the 10-week initiative was the first of its kind to involve state and local agencies in 15 areas with large clusters of critically missing children. Searches were conducted in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County areas from March 1 to May 15. According to law enforcement, more than 40 cases involved trafficking, and of the cases closed, 86 percent were endangered runaways.

In May 2023, Texas lawmakers approved HB3556, which would allow law enforcement to immediately notify people within a 100-mile radius as soon as a child goes missing. The “Athena Alert” bill is named for 7-year-old Athena Strand, who was kidnapped and killed last year by a FedEx driver who made a delivery to her Wise County home. The bill aims to close the gap between when a child is reported missing and when the child’s case meets state criteria for an AMBER Alert (for a confirmed abduction). The bill awaits Governor Greg Abbott’s signature into law.

A new state law in Utah—designed to improve the criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts—went into effect May 3. Representative Ryan Wilcox of Ogden sponsored HB266 which prohibits law enforcement from issuing AMBER Alerts for runaways or child custody disputes unless the child faces a credible threat of imminent danger. Wilcox told KSL.com that the overuse of AMBER Alerts has caused people to opt out of receiving the alerts or ignore them, which diminishes their effectiveness. Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill into law in March.

“Take It Down,” a free online service run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), is helping remove sexually explicit images or videos depicting children under age 18. And NCMEC’s work is paying off: Since “Take It Down” launched in December 2022, more than 200 cases have been resolved. The process works by assigning a unique digital fingerprint, or hash value, to specific images or videos. Participating tech platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Pornhub, and OnlyFans, use the hash values to detect and remove the disturbing imagery from their sites. Individuals also can submit a request to remove explicit visual content.

On August 23, 1971, 1-year-old Melissa Highsmith of Fort Worth was kidnapped by a woman posing as a babysitter. Her family searched for in vain for her over five decades, and never gave up. Encouraged by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the family used the genetic-testing company 23andMe—and Jeffrie Highsmith discovered a grandchild he didn’t know he had. Highsmith then found a Facebook account likely connected to his long-lost daughter, who went by “Melanie Walden.” And of all places, she lived in Fort Worth, where her family still resided. When Highsmith contacted Melanie/Melissa, he shared his (and her) story, but Walden, 53, thought he was trying to scam her. Additional genetic testing confirmed that she was indeed “Baby Melissa.” During the family’s reunion, they learned of Walden’s abusive childhood. “I finally have a mother and father who want me,” Walden said. She has since changed her name back to Melissa Highsmith.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez have issued an executive order laying out new guidelines for missing persons cases that will emphasize being more empathetic to victims and their families. “Many families know the personal heartbreak and trauma of missing loved ones in the Navajo Nation and throughout Indian Country. Multiple jurisdiction systems have historically failed the victims and their families,” said President Nez. The new guidelines will mandate that any missing persons case should immediately involve the victim’s family, relatives, and community.

“Operation Lost and Found” has located nearly a dozen endangered missing children throughout the Denver metro area. A two-week operation by the Aurora Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children helped find the children, who ranged in age for 12 to 17. Authorities said the children were “some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area, based on factors such as child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sex abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions.”

If the worst-case scenario ever happens, Florida officials want parents to be ready. On the heels of more than 25,000 incidents of missing children reported to authorities in 2022, the state will be giving free identification kits to parents. The goal is to make it easier for parents to collect identifying information on cards that can be kept at home if they are ever needed. About 250,000 kits will be provided to all public, private, and charter schools for the parents of kindergarten students.

In the aftermath of his son Adam’s kidnapping and murder in 1981, John Walsh became a victim’s rights activist, political lobbyist, and creator of the TV program, “America’s Most Wanted,” which he hosted until 2013. The popular show was credited with helping solve missing child cases, including the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, featured on one of its episodes. In January, Walsh returned to “America’s Most Wanted,” this time with son Callahan Walsh as co-host and co-producer. To help find more missing kids, “America’s Most Wanted” is also working directly with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). “Partnering with NCMEC is so vital to the return of ‘America’s Most Wanted,’” said Callahan, who is also the executive director of NCMEC’s Florida office. “By featuring these cases on the show, we’re putting these missing children in front of a national audience...It’s going to be such a powerful tool to help bring kids home.”

When Chinese exchange student Kai Zhuang was reported missing in December from his host high school in Riverdale, Utah, authorities traced his location by analyzing call data and bank records. Police found the 17-year-old alone in a tent in rural Utah, amid freezing temperatures and with limited food and water, the apparent victim of a cyber-kidnapping scam. Zhuang was unharmed, but the damage was done—his parents in China had already paid “kidnappers” an $80,000 ransom. Zhuang’s case represents a growing type of fraud where cybercriminals target exchange students, particularly Chinese students, tricking them into believing their families are being threatened. They force terrified victims to take photos of themselves bound and gagged, which are then used to coerce the family into paying ransom. The cyber kidnappers continue to extort the family by using photos and voice recordings of the victim that give the impression the kidnappers are with the victim and causing them harm, Riverdale police said. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), experts believe the crimes will continue.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in July to establish an AMBER Alert-style system to warn the public about active shooter incidents. The bill’s supporters hope the alerts will protect the public during mass shootings. The bill now needs approval from the U.S. Senate.

Starting in January 2023, California will begin issuing Yellow Alerts to notify the public and help law enforcement find hit-and-run drivers. If police have a complete or partial license plate number and description of the vehicle, the information can be flashed on highway message signs in the area and sent to the media. Colorado and Maryland already use similar alerts for hit-and-run crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a 26 percent increase in hit-and-run fatalities – from 2,037 in 2019 to 2,564 in 2020.

Since launching its AMBER Alert system in July 2002, California has helped return 376 missing or abducted children to their families. The state issued its first alert a month after its inception and rescued two teen girls from a suspect who later died in a gun battle. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recognized the 20th anniversary of the child abduction alerts at a press event. “We are so successful because we are all caretakers in our community,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray.

Maryland leaders will now be notified of hate crimes with an “Emmett Till Alert.” The alert is named after the 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a White woman. Pictures of Till’s open casket helped transform the nation’s civil rights movement. Currently, the new alert will notify 167 key civil rights and community leaders of any racial incident or hate crime. The alerts have three levels: low, medium, and high. The highest level means there is a high possibility of violence or death.

A federal judge has recommended terminating a lawsuit against the Northumberland County Children & Youth Department in Pennsylvania. Sawsan Hadidi filed a $5 million suit against the agency after an AMBER Alert was issued when she left her home with her children. Hadidi was arrested in Chicago in September 2020 and later pleaded no contest to concealing her children.

Alaska State Troopers launched a new statewide system to issue AMBER Alerts and other emergency notifications. The new tool allows Alaskans to subscribe to email and SMS alerts related to significant law enforcement activity in an area, evacuation information, missing persons bulletins, suspect information, and other timely alerts. Alaskans can sign up for alerts at alerts.dps.alaska.gov/subscribe.

Two women plan to sue the Harker Heights, Texas, Police Department for issuing an AMBER Alert and accusing the couple of kidnapping a 2-month-old girl. The women said the baby’s mother left the child with them and was planning to give them legal guardianship. Police issued the alert after the baby’s father claimed the couple would not give the child to him.

The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Police Department is investigating a 17-year-old boy who sparked an AMBER Alert after he claimed he was kidnapped. The teen sent pictures and text messages to family members saying he had been abducted and the kidnappers wanted money or he would be killed. Police are considering charges because of the waste of law enforcement resources.

Tech giant Apple is being sued after a 12-year-old boy said he suffered permanent hearing damage after getting a loud AMBER Alert while using his AirPods. The Texas boy said he was listening to a program at a low volume when a very loud AMBER Alert notification ruptured his eardrums. The boy’s parents said Apple failed to warn AirPods users about the design flaw.

Instagram is now posting AMBER Alerts to notify the public about abducted children. The alerts are being placed on the social media platform in the U.S. and 24 other countries. Meta, the parent group of Instagram and Facebook, said Instagram will share the alerts in a designated area based on the user’s IP address and location. AMBER Alerts have been posted on Facebook since 2015. Google began issuing the alerts to users of its Search and Maps tools in 2012. “With this update, if an AMBER Alert is activated by law enforcement and you are in the designated search area, the alert will now appear in your Instagram feed,” said Meta Director of Trust & Safety Emily Vacher. The Instagram posts are part of a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

It was nearing dusk one Sunday evening last November when Hillsborough County deputies in Tampa, Florida, were notified about a missing 9-year-old child with autism. With weather conditions worsening, deputies could not use an air unit to help search for the child, but a SafetyNet bracelet he was wearing allowed them to pinpoint his location. SafetyNet works by allowing law enforcement agencies access to GPS information from bracelets worn by those with cognitive conditions when they go missing. The child, who was hiding behind an air conditioning unit, was found about 20 minutes after the signal was detected.

The Santa Rosa County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office K-9 Bloodhounds Unit and K-9 “Zinc” took top honors this past September at the 2023 Southeastern States Manhunt Trials, Single Leash Division. The field trials, which are hosted by the Escambia County Road Prison, simulate conditions that law enforcement K-9 teams experience when searching for a suspect or lost child. The county’s K-9 Unit is comprised of 17 highly trained canines supervised by Sergeants Chrystal Bozard and Robert Lenzo.

More than 200 sex trafficking victims, including 59 missing children, were rescued by the FBI during a coordinated two-week campaign last summer that involved federal, state, and local agencies across the country, working in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “Operation Cross Country,” now in its 13th year, also led to the identification or arrest of 126 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses; 68 suspects of trafficking were also identified and arrested.

The 25th Florida Missing Children’s Day event honored citizens, law enforcement officers, and K-9 teams for their exemplary efforts investigating missing persons, rescuing missing children, and preventing abductions. The September 11 ceremony in Tallahassee included a moment of remembrance for all the children who vanish each year. One of them was 14-year-old Demiah Appling, reported missing from Dixie County in October 2022. Her body was found two months later in neighboring Gilchrist County. Her uncle, David Appling, told Tallahassee’s WCTV that the ceremony was a moment of healing: “The people here, they understand. And they know, they explained to us it is OK to be sad, it’s OK to cry and show your emotions and not be ashamed of it.”

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) warns about a new clickbait scam: bogus missing child posters. Learn how to recognize a fake by looking for these red flags: The poster doesn’t come from NCMEC, an official law enforcement agency, or credible news source; it may contain misspellings, syntax errors, or improperly used words; and it doesn’t note how you can take appropriate action.