Child, 4, reported missing from home

By JESSICA DENNIS

Gazette City Editor

What would you do if you woke up one day and found your child was gone?

This was the case Thursday when a Bellevue woman reported to police officials her four-year-old step-son was missing.

According to police reports, the woman, who resides in the 300 block of W. Main St., was in the shower Thursday, June 26, around 1 p.m., when she came out to find the toddler gone.

After police were contacted, the residence and surrounding area was searched and officials contacted A Child is Missing Alert Program, a high-tech program which is in place to search for locally missing children.

Upon receipt of a missing person's call, police make a toll-free phone call which rings into Fort Lauderdale, Fla., national headquarters of the A Child is Missing Alert Program. The call, which is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by an information and mapping technician, initiates a rapid process of information gathering and use of sophisticated mapping systems.

The system then launches thousands of calls within minutes with an alert message detailing the missing person's description, last known whereabouts and other pertinent information. The alert message also includes phone numbers -- such as the Bellevue Police Department -- for use by anyone with information relating to the missing person.

Although it was found out later that the child's natural mother had came into the home and took the boy without telling anyone, the alert system, which was put into place for situations just like this, was successful.

"This was the first time we had to use it," said Captain Matt Johnson, of the Bellevue Police Department. "The reason we used this and not Amber Alert, is that to use Amber Alert, there has to be credible information that the child was forcibly removed against their will. We were able to locate the (natural) mother and she told us she did pick the boy up."

Johnson added the woman knocked on the door and when the four-year-old answered, she removed him from the home without telling the child's step-mother or father she was doing so.

Reports indicate the woman has had two other children taken away from her by children's services. She is, however, the custodial parent of the boy. A copy of the full report was forwarded to the prosecutor and to children's service for possible charges.