Missing Arizona Child Found

When I first posted this article, Sylar hadn't been missing long and there was still hope that he would be found alive; maybe scared and dirty but healthy. This afternoon, August 10, 2010. Sylar's remains were found about two miles from the camp site where he was last seen.

There has been flash flooding in the area and authorities believe that was the reason his body was found in the bottom of a wash. He was deposited there by the floods. The search had already changed from rescue to recovery and the authorities seem to suspect foul play.

Searches did not turn up any traces of toddler or wild animal footprints moving away from the camp site and all 25 campers in the area have been cooperative. The investigation will continue.

I added this information rather than removing Sylar from this article because I feel it is important that people learn from this tragedy and maybe save a young life.

Sylar, age 2, was last seen at around midnight asleep in a sleeping bag wearing only a diaper. At 1:45 am he was discovered missing and 911 was called. He was at Beaver Creek Campground, Rimrock, AZ. He is 3'0' tall and weighs 20 lbs. He has green eyes and brown hair. Anyone having any information should contact National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or Yavapai County Sheriff's Office (Arizona) 1-928-771-3260..

Modern technology has made great strides in making the world a smaller place. Instant messengers, chat sites, social networking sites, twitter and others make it easy to stay in contact with friends and family. They also give people the opportunity to meet new people through applications and games. There is something more important that we can use these sites for than just playing games and hanging out. We can also use these as tools to bring home missing children through programs like Amber Alert.

The program was created after the kidnapping and brutal murder of Amber Hagerman in Arlington, Texas. Amber, age 9, was riding her bicycle in around her neighborhood when a man pulled her into the front seat of his pickup truck. A neighbor heard her scream, saw the man abduct the girl and reported it to authorities. Local media carried the story in their scheduled new broadcasts. Amber’s body was found in a drainage ditch four days after the kidnapping. The case was never solved.

Amber Alert is a program used by law enforcement to spread the word of child abduction or a missing child. Whether it be a family member who has abducted the child, a stranger abduction or if the child is missing; law enforcement cooperates with news media and transportation agencies to get description of the child, where they were last seen, who abducted them (if known) and what vehicle they may be looking for (if known).

This program has become international since its start in 1996. Australia (Child Abduction Alert) Canada, France (Alert Enlevement), Germany, Greece, UK (Child Rescue Alert) and the Netherlands all use Amber Alert.

One success story of an abducted child being found using Amber Alert happened in the summer of 2002 in Texas. A one month old baby girl was abducted from the family minivan in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Texas issued their first statewide Amber Alert and the child was found 125 miles away from where she was taken. Nursing home employees had heard the alert and contacted authorities about a visitor to the nursing home who had a baby that had made them suspicious.

The program does work and is in place for alerts to be issued at the local, regional, state and national level depending what information the authorities have as to the circumstances of the abduction. To keep Amber Alerts from being overused and having less impact when issued; there are criteria for determining if an abduction qualifies for an Amber Alert.

· The abduction would need to be of a child 17-years old or younger

· Law enforcement needs to have a reasonable belief that the child has been abducted

· Law enforcement believes the child is in danger of serious bodily injury or death

· There must be enough details available to issue an alert. The details may include child description, photographs, any available information on the suspected abductor, etc

· The relevant information about the abduction, including the Child Abduction flag, has to be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIS) computer.

Amber Alerts can only be issued by law enforcement if they feel the criteria have been met. Generally, child custody battles do not qualify for Amber Alerts.

If you think you have seen a missing child, please contact 1-800-THE-LOST to make a report.

Time is so important when it comes to finding missing or abducted children. The more information and valid tips that the authorities receive, the more likely they are to be able to bring a child home safe. In addition to paying attention to Amber Alerts that are released in the Media; there is another way you can help find missing children.

Signing up for Wireless Amber Alerts lets you receive the alert right to your cell phone. If you’re in traffic, the alert may have a vehicle description. If you’re shopping, it may give a physical description of the child or abductor. If the address the child was taken from is in your neighborhood, you will be alerted to pay closer attention to anything out of the ordinary. Please call 1-800-THE-LOST to report any information regarding a missing or abducted child.

How to sign up for wireless Amber Alerts from your computer:

1. Go to www.wirelessamberalerts.com

2. Enter your wireless phone number

3. Read and agree to terms and conditions, press ‘Accept’

4. Press ‘Complete Subscription’

5. Enter the zip code for the location you want to receive alerts (may enter up to 5 zip codes)

6. Select a password

It’s that easy to register online.

How to sign up for wireless Amber Alerts from your cell phone:

1. Text the word AMBER followed by a space and your 5-digit zip code to 26237

2. You will receive a confirmation reply

3. When an alert is issued or cancelled you will receive the information by text

4. To end the alerts, send STOP to 26237

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