Connect with us

Southwest

If you get an Amber Alert on your phone, information you have could be vital to a missing child's safety

Published

on

If you get an Amber Alert on your phone, information you have could be vital to a missing child's safety

When a child is abducted, Amber Alerts are projected on your phone screen, highway signs and local broadcasts. 

The emergency alert is issued when a certain criterion is met in a child abduction. 

If you receive one on your phone, it’s important to take note of it, as it means a child is in danger and information you have may save the child’s life. 

7 STORIES OF CHILDREN WHO WERE KIDNAPPED, SURVIVED THEIR ABDUCTIONS AND WERE REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILIES

Advertisement

Here is an overview of what to do if you receive an Amber Alert — and a bit of background on the emergency system as well. 

Check out these points.

  1. What do I do when I receive an Amber Alert?
  2. Why is this called an Amber Alert?
  3. What states get the most Amber Alerts?
  4. How many kids have been saved because of an Amber Alert?
  5. What are the requirements for an Amber Alert to be issued?

Amber Alerts are issued for child abduction cases that meet a specific criterion. (iStock)

1. What do I do when I receive an Amber Alert?

If you receive an Amber Alert, it means that a child is in danger in the area, and it is vital to act fast.

An Amber Alert is often distributed through cell phones, broadcast networks and highway signs. 

If you see or hear an Amber Alert, take the time to read through it and familiarize yourself with what law enforcement is seeking. 

Advertisement

Keep these descriptions in your mind and be on the lookout.  

5 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANGES OF SURVIVAL IN A KIDNAPPING SITUATION: EXPERTS

If you are out and see a vehicle or individual that matches the description on the Amber Alert, call 911 or the number that is given on the alert immediately. 

Provide as much detail as you possibly can about what you saw. 

2. Why is this called an Amber Alert?

The Amber Alert system has been in place since 1996. 

Advertisement

It stands for America’s Broadcast Emergency Response and is named after Amber Hagerman.

The Amber Alert emergency system was named after Amber Hagerman, who was abducted in 1996. (iStock)

While riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, in 1996, 9-year-old Hagerman was kidnapped. 

Four days after her abduction, her body was found in a creek about four miles away. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Advertisement

The person responsible for the brutal crime has still not been caught. 

This was the case that inspired the Amber Alert system that is in place to this day.

3. What states get the most Amber Alerts? 

Year after year, the state of Texas — where the incident that inspired the Amber Alert occurred — gets the most alerts. 

Every second is vital when a child is missing. If you receive an Amber Alert, it means a child is in danger and any information about the case could help save a life. (iStock)

In 2022, the Office of Justice Programs reported 31 alerts in the state of Texas. 

Advertisement

Georgia issued 14 alerts, while Florida issued 13. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Navajo Nation, Nebraska, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Vermont all had zero, according to 2022 reporting from the source. 

4. How many kids have been saved because of an Amber Alert?

The Amber Alert system has saved thousands of children. 

 

Advertisement

As of Dec. 31, 2023, the system has contributed to the recovery of 1,200 children, according to AmberAlert.gov. 

Additionally, the system has proven to stop perpetrators from continuing with abduction, according to the source, which notes that criminals will sometimes release a child after hearing the Amber Alert sound. 

5. What are the requirements for an Amber Alert to be issued?

In order for an Amber Alert to be issued, there is a certain set of requirements that must first be met. 

If you get an Amber Alert and you have information about this missing child, contact the authorities right away. (iStock)

The following are the Department of Justice requirements for sending out an Amber Alert, as laid out on AmberAlert.gov. 

Advertisement
  • There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
  • The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
  • There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
  • The abduction is of a child age 17 years or younger.
  • The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Los Angeles, Ca

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Published

on

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.

Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.

Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.

  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • A sinkhole opened up on a sidewalk in West Hollywood following a water main break
  • Aerial view of flooded Metro buses.
  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • Water floods out of an apartment in West Hollywood
  • A broken water main floods a parking garage in West Hollywood
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Residents stand with luggage and a dog at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush through a West Hollywood street.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • A broken water main floods the streets of West Hollywood

“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”

The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.

A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.

Advertisement

The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.

“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.

The two men appeared to be uninjured.

As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.

LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.

Advertisement

The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Published

on

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.

Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.

On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and Eric Washington are pictured in a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department bulletin. (LASD)

Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.

Advertisement

“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.

The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.

Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.

Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.

Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.

Advertisement

Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.

  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration

Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.

The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.

“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.

“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”

The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.

Advertisement

At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.

Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.

The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.

Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.

Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.

Advertisement

Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.

They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

Published

on

Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending