CA-Sandra Cantu, 8 missing 3/27/09 from Tracy,#1

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Looks like WhiteHawk beat me to the AMBER Alert stuff. But yep. www.amberalert.gov is the best place to see the guidelines. In short, this is what must happen:

Child 17 years or younger (some states have younger age limits)
LE confirms an abduction
Risk of serious injury or death
Descriptions must be available

These are the suggested guidelines. Although each state may adapt them and use their own criteria, and many do.

 

[Nora Charles]

:clap::clap::clap:

I think my first post on this thread was a rant...on day three(!!!!) when I heard about it for the first time. Totally infuriated me because I live in CA and the quick mention on cable news didn't even say WHERE in CA! I was about to hit the freeways for several hours, so I had to research online before leaving. I was afraid it might be in Southern California where I live and I wasn't driving the freeways without knowing if I should be looking for something. With the Mexico and Brawley link to Sandra's dad I'll be fighting mad if it turns out he's responsible and there really might have been something to watch for in our end of the state. Now I'm ranting...sigh.

All this to say...Go get'em, White Hawk!! We all support you!!!

Salem, and Everyone else!

The guidelines need to be changed for the Amber Alert. Every state needs to have the same guidelines. They need to be set with a little common sense! If a 15 yo child is missing for 24 hours, that is bad enough but I would not get freaked like I would if an 8 yo was missing for 24 hours. I have just about come to the conclusion that I am going to make it my mission in life to do something about it! That and these morons that are running around and only have to report once a year! Don't know how I'm going to do it but I am counting on the Good Lord providing a way............Thanks for the space. That was my venting for the night.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Here is a link specifically for California's AMBER Alert system. It appears that they follow the national guidelines. http://www.chp.ca.gov/amber/index.html#Guidelines


AMBER ALERT Guidelines

• AMBER ALERT may be activated only by law enforcement agencies.
• AMBER ALERT is intended only for the most serious, time-critical child abduction cases.
• AMBER ALERT is not intended for cases involving runaways or parental abduction, except in life-threatening situations.

Criteria for activating an AMBER ALERT

Law enforcement agencies ensure these conditions are met before activating an AMBER ALERT:

• The investigating law enforcement agency confirms an abduction has occurred.
• The victim is 17 years of age or younger, or has a proven mental or physical disability.
• The victim is in imminent danger of serious injury or death.
• There is information available that, if provided to the public, could assist in the child's safe recovery.

 

[Salem]

Looks like WhiteHawk beat me to the AMBER Alert stuff. But yep. www.amberalert.gov is the best place to see the guidelines. In short, this is what must happen:

Child 17 years or younger (some states have younger age limits)
LE confirms an abduction
Risk of serious injury or death
Descriptions must be available

These are the suggested guidelines. Although each state may adapt them and use their own criteria, and many do.

The way I see it, the requirement/guideline for CONFIRMING an abduction is probably the biggest hurdle. Even now, there is no confirmation that Sandra has been abducted unless deductive reasoning counts. There is no witness, no video, and no physical evidence. Also, no description of any perp or vehicle. BUT 8 year olds don't runaway for all night or generally for after dark.

I agree with the premise that Amber alert should NOT be over used, but the guidelines really need to address children by age, because there is a vast difference between what a 12-16 year old does and what a 0-11 year old does.

Salem

 

[White Hawk]

I just can't type as fast as you can read Whitehawk!

Night Nurse. Maybe Sandra will be home tomorrow.

Salem

And by the way....I understand. This time of night, I can't read as fast as some people type!

 

[scandi]

Hi you dearhearts, digging into Sandra's case with such fervor! :blowkiss:

I did hear the Sheriff today and was so impressed. He is just a down home cop I think that has passion in his heart to find her. I felt that listening to him talk today. He admits they don't know that much but I still felt encouraged by him that Sandra might be found alive. Wouldn't that be a true miracle? Ya Ya

I learned something about the AA tonight from you guys. I have always thought the difference in the European AA and ours is here there has to be a car with the license plate # for the alert to be issued. Maybe that is a variance determined by individual states. xox

 

[Salem]

Hi Scandi - nice to see you! Yes, the public information officer in this case seems to be a pretty positive, upbeat personality. I'm glad! The LE are anticipating the public's questions and they make it obvious they have been watching the 2 cases out of Florida. It is refreshing to have LE come on and say - yes we are searching the trash, yes we are searching the river, yes we are searching homes and cars. Yes a shirt was found - we don't think it is significant, but we will be testing it. It is so much less stressful when LE just tells us they are doing their job and we don't have to remind them or wonder!

Salem

 

[ilovemew]

This may clear up the confusion with CA/Mexico:
Mexicali is in Mexico, very close to the border.
Calexico is in California, very near the border.

Sandra's dad lives in Mexicali (Mexico) but works in Brawley (California). Brawley is located in Imperial County, which borders Mexico, and is between Palm Springs and Mexico near the Salton Sea area (if that helps). I've been through there a few times, and it's basically in the middle of nowhere, very simple dwellings, not much to do.

I thought you were pullin my leg when I read that. LOL never heard of Calexico and I thought Mexicali was slang for CA. :crazy:

 

[Nora Charles]

I think they had a few too many margaritas when then named those cities. LOL

I thought you were pullin my leg when I read that. LOL never heard of Calexico and I thought Mexicali was slang for CA. :crazy:

Edit: Just noticed you're from California yourself!! LOL Northern California, perhaps?

 

[elepher50]

elepher50 - where did you find the police blotter? Do you have a link? I would love to take a look at the site.

Thanks,

Salem

Hi Salem, Didn't catch your note night. I found the blotters on tracy press archives: Here is the link: http://tracypress.com/content/category/2/121/2279/50/0/

The other place I poughed through just being curious was a link you had provided earlier in the day for San Joaquin County (the one you couldn't get past the first page). Here is a link that will get you past that first silly "stuck" page: http://207.104.50.87/whosincustody/QueryByLastInitial.aspx

 

[keeponsearching]

I will never understand the amber alert. If a child is missing, one should be place, I don't care if its over used. You never know until/if you find the child what really happened. If Sandra was riding her bike, and they found her bike down aways would that be enough for abduction? What would the real difference be if she had a bike, or not.... She is 8 and missing. Amber alert can save children. Why not use it. And with all the SO surrounded around her, probably a good idea to place it. And maybe if Amber alert is not working for everyone, maybe a new law can set in and protect our children.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512411,00.html

FBI searched the Oakdale, Calif., home of a man related to the neighbor of a missing 8-year-old girl.
The relative, Chris Sinclair, has been a focus of the investigation into the disappearance of Sandra Cantu a week ago. Three vehicles connected to him already have been seized.
Feds served a search warrant on his Oakdale residence on Thursday.

Police said another search of the trailer park where Sandra lives yielded a Hello Kitty T-shirt like the one the child was last seen wearing.
They showed the top to her mother, Maria Chavez.
"It looked very similar [to the one she wore], which is why we brought it back to the mother. But mother said it wasn't. That's not to say we're not going further," KTVU quoted Watney as saying. "We still have it. It's still going to be examined. It's still going to be tested."

ETA: this seems to me to be misreporting... at the presser le said the shirt was found at the transfer station and they took a photo and showed it to mom..

Detectives spoke again with another neighbor, Frank Wohler, who they say admitted kissing Sandra on the mouth two years ago, when she was 6.
Wohler's station wagon was confiscated by authorities on Monday night when they searched his home. They returned the vehicle on Thursday.

 

[Mendara]

I will never understand the amber alert. If a child is missing, one should be place, I don't care if its over used. You never know until/if you find the child what really happened. If Sandra was riding her bike, and they found her bike down aways would that be enough for abduction? What would the real difference be if she had a bike, or not.... She is 8 and missing. Amber alert can save children. Why not use it. And with all the SO surrounded around her, probably a good idea to place it. And maybe if Amber alert is not working for everyone, maybe a new law can set in and protect our children.

The fear of it being over used is that they feel that if it is too common or used for all situations even for those children who do not appear to be in immediate danger, that the public will no longer pay attention. If they are used for only children who are in immediate known danger and have car description and certain information, and continue to be emergency ALERTS - the public will really notice them and pay attention.

I tend to agree.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.fox40.com/pages/search_for_sandra

 

[Mendara]

Very interesting where the focus is now. So a visitor to the trailer park. Did Sandra know him? How old is this cousin? Was this the same guy who fought with police or was it the resident who is related?

 

[nursebeeme]

Judy Thomas and her husband Arnold Thomas watched the search from across the street. Agents looked through a boat that sat in the driveway of the Oakdale home, brought out canines to sniff out the property and used ladders to help search unreachable areas.
There was also a hole dug a few inches into the ground in the backyard, sitting next to a number of shovels and metal detectors.
Both the FBI and the Tracy Police are not releasing any information about this search for fear of hindering the investigation.

http://www.fox40.com/pages/landing_...es-Home-Of-Inter=1&blockID=256595&feedID=2674

A BOAT????

 

[nursebeeme]

Very interesting where the focus is now. So a visitor to the trailer park. Did Sandra know him? How old is this cousin? Was this the same guy who fought with police or was it the resident who is related?

It IS very interesting where the focus is now, Mendara. It seems that they are really looking at this cousin. They have been out to that Oakdale home going on three times now... digging holes...with cadaver dogs... searching a boat...

And cadaver dogs hit near the water too....

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.fox40.com/pages/search_for_sandra
this is a great page for Sandra. Go to the video box to the left of the page.... there is an interview with LP.... his 10k is only good until SUNDAY (wtf)

 

[Mendara]

It IS very interesting where the focus is now, Mendara. It seems that they are really looking at this cousin. They have been out to that Oakdale home going on three times now... digging holes...with cadaver dogs... searching a boat...

And cadaver dogs hit near the water too....

Yes I heard it hit near the river's edge. Was the resident who fought with police who was charge with obstruction and interfering with a police investigation this person's cousin?

I wonder what the history is between these neighbors. They must have something for all that searching.

 

[Mendara]

http://www.fox40.com/pages/search_for_sandra
this is a great page for Sandra. Go to the video box to the left of the page.... there is an interview with LP.... his 10k is only good until SUNDAY (wtf)

I am NOT a fan of LEonard P. I think he stirs the pot and loves the media attention. I think he made things so much worse int he KC Anthony case..so much worse. I hope he stays far away from this one.