This is a great program to protect the senior citizens of our nation who can no longer take care of themselves. Maryland State police used the system for the first time in November 2009 to help locate an elderly man, and it worked. The victim was found safely by a BGE worker on a street corner. The alerts are generally displayed on highway billboards and over local television and radio stations. Please consider registering your family member or friend on line, it provides a safe and secure place to store vital medical information that can be easily accessed in case of an emergency.

Also, you can also request brochures for free of charge to healthcare facilities, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and emergency responder agencies. If you require more than 100 brochures, please contact the corporate office at:

866-840-3639

By:  Michelle Sigona

Stranger abductions are not as common as we think, but when they happen it feels like the entire nation knows about it through the news and social media.  If there is a car description, an Amber Alert is usually attached to the announcement along with a suspect description.  That was the case with little Alisa Maier from Missouri.  She is only 4-years-old and investigators say she was snatched from her front yard two days ago by a stranger.  Alisa was playing in her front yard with her brother when the abduction occurred, and their mother jumped into her vehicle and tried to chase the abductor down. The FBI from St. Louis and investigators from surrounding counties quickly joined forces to create a command post and follow up with every lead to help find Alisa.  Members of the community met at the local Elk’s Lodge and volunteered their time going door-to-door passing out fliers with Alisa’s face and information on them.  The first 48 hours in an abduction are the most crucial.  According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, since 1997 the Amber Alert program is credited with the safe recovery of 502 children.  There are 120 active amber plans in check across the country.

I spoke with S.A. Billy Cox with the St. Louis FBI, and he confirms that the Amber Alert to find 4-year-old Alisa Maier is still active.  He said the child was playing with her brother in the front yard of her Louisiana, Missouri home when she was snatched around 8 p.m. last night.  Right now the FBI has a command post set up to assist the police department with fielding important leads. I spoke with Sally Hunt who lives in the area and is volunteering at the local Elk’s Lodge in Louisiana, Missouri.  She said there are 130 volunteers in the field searching and passing out fliers right now.  “There is a tremendous outpouring of support,” said Sally.  Many of the volunteers are also going door-to-door.

The official autopsy report for 7-year-old Aja Johnson was hand delivered to her biological father J.J. Johnson on Friday.  Six months after the little girl went missing, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office lists the child’s official cause of death as “violent death with possible neck injury.”  The bodies of Aja Johnson and Lester Hobbs were located in a rural area in Norman, Oklahoma nine weeks after he abducted her.  A law enforcement source on the ground told me that because of the decomposition, Hobbs and Aja most likely died about a week after the initial murder of Tonya Hobbs in January. “He got in that area, probably to lay low for a few days, got in there with the storm and maybe got trapped.  One thing led to another, couldn’t get the vehicle out, and would have to walk out on foot… he chose to stay.”  My source says Aja’s body was found outside the vehicle and Hobbs was found inside the car.  The medical examiner’s report indicates Hobbs died from drinking antifreeze, and there were not any signs of antifreeze in Aja Johnson.

Investigators say Aja was abducted and her mother was found beaten to death inside an RV in Geremanio.  When the case broke, investigators issued an arrest warrant for Lester Hobbs charging him with the first degree murder of his wife Tonya Hobbs and the kidnapping of his step-daughter Aja.  Deputy U.S. Marshal Templeton told me a hammer was used to beat Tonya, and a knife was used to stab her.  The knife was found at the scene. 

At the murder-suicide scene, a law enforcement source there told me he found a letter, “not technically a suicide note, mainly it was blaming Tonya’s mother and sister for the problems with him and Tonya.  It was blaming everyone else for his wrongs in life.  It was one last shot at making someone feel badly about himself.”  My source believes the note was written over a day or two due to the change in handwritings.  I also learned that Hobbs had notes all over his trailer. He would often just write things down when they came to mind.

Hobbs is a convicted felon, and according to court documents, was not supposed to have any contact with Aja. I spoke with Alice Dunkin, Tonya Hobbs mother, and missing 7-year-old Aja Johnson’s grandmother before her granddaughter’s body was found. She told me “Lester does not like Aja. He is mean to Aja. He has made her eat jalapeño peppers, and has a paddle with her name on it. I’ve seen bruises he has left on her little behind. I don’t know why, or if it’s her medical problem, or what.”

I asked Alice specifically about the domestic violence with Lester Hobbs leading up to her daughter’s death, and she told me, “he has slapped her, and one time she had a black eye, but I never dreamed it would go this far.” Alice wanted to speak out to Lester Hobbs about the way he was treating her daughter, but Tonya was scared and asked her never to say anything because if she got him upset he may take it out on her. “I had to bite my tongue, I hated to do that,” Alice says. Tonya was in the hospital three times over the last few months because of blood clots in her knees and lungs. According to her mom, Tonya wasn’t able to work, and didn’t have any health insurance.

Tonya leaves behind three children: a 15-year-old son, a 13-year-old daughter, and 7-year-old Aja.

Angel Rojas (left) Karen Anastasio (right)

Police in Austin, Texas say Karen Anastacio, 13, was abducted last week by a man she knew. Authorities say Angel Rojas, 25, was seen taking the teen in his brown 1997 GMC Jimmy from the Bedichek Middle School around 8 a.m. on May 6, 2010.

Investigators say Karen’s family was about to file criminal charges against Rojas for a previous attack on the teen, but he was able to get to her first. Those assault charges were filed on Friday, and there is a warrant out for Rojas’ arrest. 

Over the weekend police announced that the Amber Alert had been canceled, and that they believe Rojas and Karen are already over the border into Mexico.  Austin police are working with the Mexican authorities. Karen weighs 115 pounds, and she is 5’2”. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and pants and carrying a pink back pack.  Rojas is only 135 pounds, and short at only 5’3”. Police say his license plate number is:   84TFL4.

If you have any information, please call: 512-974-0911 ]]> http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/05/amber-alert-canceled-teen-still-missing/feed/ 0 http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/05/texas-amber-alert-still-active/ http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/05/texas-amber-alert-still-active/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 13:06:47 +0000 Michelle Sigona http://www.michellesigona.com/?p=4683

There is an active Amber Alert in Austin, Texas for a teen abducted by a man.  Police say Angel Rojas, 25, was seen taking Karen Anastacio, 13, in his brown Ford Expedition or Explorer from her school.  The alleged abduction took place at the Bedichek Middle School in South Austin.  Investigators say Karen’s family was about to file criminal charges against Rojas for a previous attack on the teen, but he was able to get to her first.  The fear is that Rojas will take Karen over the border into Mexico, and then it will be extremely difficult to find her. 

Karen weighs 115 pounds, and she is 5’2.” She was last seen wearing a black shirt and pants and carrying a pink back pack.  Rojas is only 135 pounds, and short at only 5’3.”  If you have any information, please call: 512-974-0911

Do you want to be alerted when a child is abducted?  I encourage you to sign up for free via wireless Internet.  It is easy, all you have to do is text the word AMBER followed by a space and your 5-digit zipcode to 26237.  If you don’t feel comfortable texting, you can sign up on-line.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, the first three hours a child is abducted are the most critical to recovery efforts.  This is a fantastic initiative to reach 200 million wireless subscribers. About 200-250 Amber Alerts are activated each year, and more than 400 children have been safely recovered because of the program.

Aja Johnson Missing

It’s been 60 days today since Aja Johnson was abducted and her mother Tonya was found beaten to death inside an RV. Since then, investigators in Oklahoma have issued a warrant for Lester Hobbs arrest charging him with first degree murder and kidnapping. I spoke with Deputy U.S. Marshal Arthur Templeton out of the Lawton office again today, and he said there has been no activity on the case. A couple of weeks ago he stated that they have, “not had anything viable on the vehicle, Aja Johnson, or Lester Hobbs,” and sadly that is still the case today.  Templteton did mention that he has a meeting with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations later today, and they have plans to discuss new ideas to keep this case in the spotlight.

When this case originally broke, there was a massive ice storm that swept through most of the state of Oklahoma. The storm paralyzed the region for 8 – 14 days. During that period, many folks were without power, so some have not even heard about the Amber Alert or the murder.  That ice storm is long gone, and there are still no signs of this child.

Lester Hobbs (new photo released by police)

Hobbs is a convicted felon, and according to court documents, was not supposed to have any contact with Aja. Police say they’ve received leads about possible sightings of Hobbs, the United States Marshals service sex offender unit is involved, but so far nothing has panned out. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations and the United States Marshal Service are offering a $20,000 reward, in hopes that it will help bring them the information they need to find this child.

According to a press release issued from the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation we are learning more about Hobbs and his habits. The release says, “From the hundreds of interviews we have conducted so far, a very clear picture of Lester Hobbs is unfolding. Hobbs can survive on very little money. In fact, his needs seem to be met with only cigarettes, liquor, and very little food. He is a self-taught automobile mechanic and will offer to do minor car repairs for little money. He has worked in the past in small automotive garages and as a mechanic in service stations. He also likes to frequent bars and will hustle a game of pool for money. He likes to cruise the Internet searching for lonely women. If Hobbs no longer has a vehicle, he will travel across the country by bus or will hitchhike. Hobbs’ own family members say he always considers himself the victim and never takes responsibility for his actions. They describe him as a cowering abuser who preys on women and children. His criminal record supports this. As to Aja’s kidnapping, this is in no way a custodial kidnapping where a non-custodial parent runs away with their own child. As you see in photographs, Hobbs like to change his appearance, ever so slightly, with hair color and with the way he grows facial hair. There are two physical characteristics, though, that will not be easy to hide: tattoos and a broken nose. He has the word “ROSE” tattooed across the top of the fingers of his right hand and “LOVE” tattooed across the top of the fingers of his left hand.

Lester Hobbs (new photo released by police)

His nose is visibly cooked from being broken sometime in the past. This is clearly shown in the photograph of him lying in the bed. Another photograph shows Hobbs sitting behind Aja on a four-wheeler. This photograph was taken just moments before they drove to the Wal-Mart in Lawton where the photograph of the car was obtained. Tonya Hobbs filed a protective order just months before she was murdered. That protective order documents that Lester Hobbs threatened to kill her children with a hammer. It now appears that Lester Hobbs carried out that threat and actually used a hammer to kill his wife.”

I spoke with Alice Dunkin, Tonya Hobbs mother, and missing 7-year-old Aja Johnson’s grandmother. She told me she screamed bloody murder and “blew up” when she learned her daughter was killed. It is devastating to Alice, especially because she said her son was shot and killed nearly three years ago, and now she has to go through this with her daughter. Along with losing both of her children, Alice fears what may happen to her granddaughter Aja.

Lester Hobbs (new photo from police)

“Lester does not like Aja. He is mean to Aja. He has made her eat jalapeño peppers, and has a paddle with her name on it. I’ve seen bruises he has left on her little behind. I don’t know why, or if it’s her medical problem, or what. If she doesn’t take her medication, she’s climbing the wall.”

Aja Johnson is still missing, and her life is in danger. Investigators believe the 7-year-old was abducted by Lester Hobbs, 47, after her mother’s murder over the weekend. The last time either Aja or Hobbs were seen was Saturday, January 23, 2009 around 6 p.m. Lester Hobbs, a convicted felon, wanted to kill his daughter with a hammer according to a police report made by Aja’s mother. Hobbs is currently wanted for a failure to appear warrant out of Lincoln County, Oklahoma for not showing up for his DUI case last month. Now, there is now a second warrant for the murder of Tonya Hobbs and the abduction of Aja Johnson. Official cause of death has not been released, but it appears at this time Tonya died from blunt force trauma to her body. In other words, she may have been beaten to death.

Lester Hobbs (wanted) Aja Johnson (missing) police say this was just hours before her mother was murdered

I asked Alice specifically about the domestic violence with Lester Hobbs leading up to her daughter’s death, and she told me, “he has slapped her, and one time she had a black eye, but I never dreamed it would go this far.” Alice wanted to speak out to Lester Hobbs about the way he was treating her daughter, but Tonya was scared and asked her never to say anything because if she got him upset he may take it out on her. “I had to bite my tongue, I hated to do that,” Alice says. Tonya was in the hospital three times over the last few months because of blood clots in her knees and lungs. According to her mom, Tonya wasn’t able to work, and didn’t have any health insurance.

Tonya leaves behind three children: a 15-year-old son, a 13-year-old daughter, and 7-year-old Aja. Alice says, “I talked to my grandson, he’s taking it pretty hard… I told him anytime he wanted to call, day or night, he was more than welcome.”

1992 Toyota Paseo

Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations released these pictures from a Wal-Mart in Lawton, Oklahoma. The photo depicts murder suspect Lester Hobbs holding hands with his estranged wife, Tonya Hobbs, in what may have been mere hours prior to the time police believe she was killed, and Aja Johnson was abducted. Investigators say the couple went to the Wal-Mart around 5:15 p.m. on January 23, 2009 to pick up food for dinner. Take a good look at what Lester Hobbs is wearing, these could be the clothes he still has on his back. Also, the parking lot surveillance camera picked up a clear view of the vehicle Hobbs may be driving. Take a look at the back passenger side window, and the hubcaps. Early in the investigation, it was believed the vehicle did not have any hubcaps. However, as these pictures show, the car may, in fact, have them.

Tonya Hobbs (left) Lester Hobbs (right) - photo taken hours before the murder

If you have any information on this case, please contact The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:

1-800-THE-LOST

This is a great program to protect the senior citizens of our nation who can no longer take care of themselves.  Maryland State police used the system for the first time in November 2009 to help locate an elderly man, and it worked.  The victim was found safely by a BGE worker on a street corner. The alerts are generally displayed on highway billboards and over local television and radio stations. Please consider registering your family member or friend on line, it provides a safe and secure place to store vital medical information that can be easily accessed in case of an emergency. 

Also, you can also request brochures for free of charge to healthcare facilities, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and emergency responder agencies.  If you require more than 100 brochures, please contact the corporate office at:  

866-840-3639