An Amber Alert was issued in Texas on Thursday for a two-year-old who was taken by a man believed to be armed.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) issued an Amber Alert on Thursday morning on behalf of the El Paso Police Department in Texas for the boy, identified as Kenji Montoya.
"Police are looking for Miguel Montoya, 29 years old, white, male, 5'06", 130 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a black Dragon Z baseball cap, black leather jacket, and blue shirt, in connection with their abduction," the Amber Alert said.
The Context:
In a statement, the El Paso Police Department said: "Miguel Montoya brandished a weapon during the offense and fled the scene with Kenji in a grey 2020 Dodge Journey SUV."
"Miguel is currently wanted by the El Paso Police Department on one felony criminal warrant for domestic violence," the press release said, adding that Miguel is Kenji's father.
"This situation is urgent and poses a serious risk to the safety and well-being of Kenji Montoya."
What We Know:
According to the Amber Alert, Kenji Montoya is a two-year-old white boy who is 2 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 28 pounds. He's believed to have brown hair and brown eyes.
"They were last seen at 8:46 PM on 03/13/2024 at the 11200 block of Kingfish Ct, El Paso, TX 79936, wearing a Spiderman long sleeve shirt, and blue jeans," the Amber Alert said.
Newsweek reached out to the El Paso Police Department via email for further comment.
Views:
"The public's assistance is crucial in ensuring the safe return of Kenji Adonis Montoya and apprehending Miguel Angel Montoya," the El Paso Police Department said. "Any information, no matter how small it may seem, could be vital in this case."
The El Paso Police Department urged any individual with information on the abduction or the child and his father's current whereabouts to promptly contact police.
"Please stay vigilant and help spread the word to aid in the swift and safe resolution of this urgent matter."
What's next:
As the El Paso Police Department noted that the child's father is currently wanted on charges of domestic violence.
Over the past several weeks, the NCMEC has issued numerous Amber Alerts for child abductions.
The NCMEC website shows that as of Thursday, there are three active Amber Alerts, including the one issued today.
Newsweek previously published a map showing the states that saw the most Amber Alerts issued in 2022.
Update 3/14/24 at 11:14 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/14/24 at 11:59 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
