02/07/2003

Associated Press

KENNEWICK, Wash. – A statewide alert for missing 5-year-old, Sofia Juarez, has ended with the child still missing.

Washington's first "Amber Alert" – an effort to spread word of a child's disappearance as quickly as possible – was discontinued Thursday after little Sofia had been missing more than 36 hours.

She vanished from her home in this Eastern Washington town Tuesday evening after telling her mother she wanted to go to the store.

"We are still treating it as an abduction," police Sgt. Rick Dopke said. "We have searched the immediate neighborhood, and gone out to rural areas and open farms. Obviously, this child isn't anywhere around."

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Sofia Juarez

"Any leads that we did have originally have proved negative," he said. "We have no suspects at this time."

The missing girl is Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes and was wearing blue overalls, a long-sleeve red shirt, violet socks and white tennis shoes when she vanished.

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Emergency management and law enforcement officials said there were a few glitches but the system generally worked well.

"I think you're looking at a B-plus or an A-minus," said Rob Harper, a spokesman for the state Emergency Management Division. "The notification was sent out statewide, the public responded and that was what it was supposed to do."

Among the problems were poor radio reception for an announcement of the disappearance, a malfunctioning receiver that briefly delayed a report on KOMO Television in Seattle and lack of announcement on the state's 114 electronic highway readerboards.

Even so, Kennewick police said they received about 100 tips and scores of volunteers joined in the search of overgrown fields, vacant warehouses and abandoned cars.

Resource Links

Center for Missing Missing and Exploited Children

AMBER Alerts are named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl abducted in Arlington, Texas, and later killed, but now they stand for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response – bulletins distributed quickly through media broadcasts and electronic highway signs.

Several members of Congress, including Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., announced Wednesday they will reintroduce a bill making the AMBER Alert available nationwide. The House and Senate passed different versions of the bill last year but were unable to agree on specifics.

Last month, the Senate approved a new bill authorizing $25 million to create a national AMBER network and provide matching grants to states and communities for equipment and training.

People with information can call Kennewick Police (509) 586-8477 or (888) 571-6566 .