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.
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.
Just like an Amber Alert is issued for a missing child, a Silver Alert is sent out for a missing elderly person. It works as an emergency system, decided by law enforcement, to broadcast a statewide alert for missing seniors. In most cases, the alerts are sent out for persons 60 or older, and most victims are mentally impaired and suffer from dementia. About 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s.
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.
Morgan Lockett (left) Brandon Lockett (right) - mugshots
Aveion Lewis mother, Morgan Lockettand her husband, Brandon, were indicted this week and charged with second degree murder and child neglect and cruelty. Police say a hoax abduction report was filed by Brandon Lockett, Aveion’s step-father on January 15, 2010 claiming the toddler was abducted by masked men who broke into his home. Sadly, the 2-year-old was found dead in a nearby landfill 12 days later. Police said they tracked the trash collected along the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue, and that is what led them to the discovery of the body. Thankfully, the trash company keeps very good records, and police were able to locate the truck in route to the landfill before it made a deposit. The truck emptied its contents in an isolated area at the landfill, and investigators sifted through the garbage.
Early on, investigators charged Brandon Lockett with improper disposal of a human body, obstruction of justice, and felony child neglect after the false report was filed. Police canceled an Amber Alert for the child after Lockett admitted Aveion was dead before the bogus abduction took place. Although conflicting statements were given to authorities early on, they were still able to come to this conclusion in a timely manner.
UPDATE 8:00 a.m. This Amber Alert is canceled, thankfully Melvin was found. The abductor is in custody…
There is an active Amber Alert in Jacksonville, FL to find baby Melvin Duclos. He was born on February 8, 2010, and authorities believe he was abducted by a woman who is 20 to 22 years old, 5-feet tall, and 150 pounds. He was last seen at his home 7300 block North Ironside Drive around 4:45 p.m. The suspect is believed to have shoulder length natural black hair and a silver post in her nose. The abductor and Melvin could be traveling in a brown four door Honda Accord. There are reports that the suspect may have followed the family home from the hospital when the baby was born earlier last month, and could have been watching them ever since. Melvin was wearing a light yellow onesie and a blue t-shirt.
Race: Black
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this endangered person, please contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-487-4438 or 911
GREAT NEWS: Investigators in Prince George’s County, Maryland say theAmber Alert to find 11-year-old Karina Elizabeth Garcia was successful. Karina was found last night at a Tennesseetruck stop with her abductor. An alert Tennessee State Trooper spotted the truck and the suspect. Prince George’s County police told me this morning thatthe suspect was arrested, and Karina has been returned to her family.
BACKGROUND: Police believe Karina Elizabeth Garcia, 11, was last seen with Elmer Velaya around 2 p.m. She is 5’5” and 175 pounds. Velaya is described as a Hispanic male, 30 – 37. He may have barbed wire tattoos on both of his biceps, and the letter “Z” is tattooed on both his ring fingers. Investigators say he is driving an orange flatbed style tractor trailer with Virginia freightliner tags.
If you’ve seen Karina, Velaya or the orange tractor trailer, please call 9-1-1 right away.
Investigators in Prince George’s County, Maryland are working an active Amber Alert. Police believe Karina Elizabeth Garcia, 11, was last seen with Elmer Velaya around 2 p.m. She is 5’5” and 175 pounds. Velaya is described as a Hispanic male, 30 – 37, and he may have barbed wire tattoos on his biceps, and the letter “Z” is tattooed on both his ring fingers.
Investigators say he is driving an orange flatbed style tractor trailer with Virginia freightliner tags. If you’ve seen Karina, Velaya or the orange tractor trailer, please call 9-1-1 right away.
Keep checking in… as soon as police release photos of Karina we will post.
UPDATE: Sadly, 8-month-old Eddie Salazar was found in the Spring River, just east of Carthage earlier this afternoon. Police say Eddie Salazar Sr., the baby’s father, is charged with filing a false police report, and is now considered the prime suspect in his son’s murder. This case is very similar to the Aveion Lewis case in Roanoke, Virginia where investigators say Aveion’s step father filed a false police report that his step-son was abducted, and a few weeks later the toddler’s body was found in a landfill.
Police say Eddie Salazar was abducted late last night by two masked men. He is only 8-months-old, and has a lung-shaped birthmark on his right bicep. Investigators say two men broke into Eddie’s home, beat his father, and left with the child. It appears, at this point, the abduction was random. If you have any information, please call: (417) 237-7200
An active amber alert (Levi’s call) in Georgia is out for 4-year-old Christian Guevara. Police say the abduction occurred around 9:15 a.m. at a trailer park in Cobb County. Christian is a Hispanic male who is only 3 feet tall, weighs 30 pounds, and has brown shaggy hair. He was last seen wearing pajamas with cars on them. Initial reports say he was abducted by two men wearing ski masks and they were seen fleeing in a white Chevrolet Suburban with unknown tags. Last seen address: 750 Six Flag Road – Lot 37
If you have any information, please contact: 770-801-3483
It’s been more than a week since Aja Johnson was abducted and her mother Tonya was found beaten to death in an RV. Since then investigators in Oklahoma issued a warrant for Lester Hobbs arrest charging him with first degree murder and kidnapping. 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, Aja and the car he may be driving, but so far nothing has panned out. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations and the United States Marshal service put out a $20,000 reward, hoping someone will bring them the information they need to find this child.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
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.
Just like an Amber Alert is issued for a missing child, a 
Investigators in Prince George’s County, Maryland are working an active Amber Alert. Police believe Karina Elizabeth Garcia, 11, was last seen with Elmer Velaya around 2 p.m. She is 5’5” and 175 pounds. Velaya is described as a Hispanic male, 30 – 37, and he may have barbed wire tattoos on his biceps, and the letter “Z” is tattooed on both his ring fingers. 
