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Published on Tuesday, March 23, 2004
in the Bradenton Herald
BRADENTON - Authorities are crediting Florida's Amber Plan for the quick and safe recovery of an 18-month-old Bradenton baby who was abducted late Sunday night.
Authorities found Deshaun Milner after receiving a tip from a Tampa-area driver who commutes to Walt Disney World via Interstate 4. The driver heard about the abduction from the state's Amber Alert warning and called police after seeing a vehicle matching the description of the car driven by Milner's suspected kidnappers.
In less than four years, 63 Amber Alerts have been issued and 12 have directly resulted in children being located, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman Larry Long.
The alert for Deshaun was the 63rd.
"I'm glad these guys are in custody, but more than that I'm glad the baby is safe and wasn't hurt," Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells said Monday.
Timeline of events
Deshaun was reported missing Sunday night and within hours his story and photo flashed onto television screens, came across radio broadcasts and appeared on roadway message boards statewide when an Amber Alert was issued.
- Around 1 a.m. Manatee Sheriff's officials request an Amber Alert, according to Wells.
- At 2:39 a.m. a fax is sent statewide to law enforcement, radio and television stations, newspapers and other media, FDLE spokesman Geo Morales said.
- By 2:46 a.m. signs along Florida roadways start flashing a message about the Amber Alert.
- At 7:16 a.m. Florida Highway Patrol receives a tip from a motorist.
- By 7:29 a.m. FHP troopers are behind the car described in the Amber Alert.
- At 7:33 a.m. troopers pull the car over and talk to the driver, Nick Hargraves.
- At 7:36 a.m. they arrest Hargraves on drug charges.
- By 8 a.m. authorities have rescued Deshaun.
The driver heard the Amber alert on the radio and then saw the electronic highway sign before calling authorities, according to reports. Minutes later Troopers Scott Keith and Wanda Diaz stopped the vehicle on Sand Lake Road near I-4 and took the driver into custody. Troopers were told Deshaun was at the Rosen Centre Hotel, near the Orange County Convention Center.
"It's just a perfect example of how the Amber Alert system works," Long said. "This is what the system was created for ... it works and it works well."
An Amber Alert also was issued in February when 11-year-old Carlie Brucia was reported missing in Sarasota. The girl's body was found Feb. 6 and Joseph P. Smith is awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and capital sexual battery.
Broad-based notification
The Florida Amber Plan was developed in memory of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old Texas girl who was abducted and murdered in 1996. In August 2000, Florida became the second state to adopt the Amber plan.
An Amber Alert instantly provides the public with notices about a child's abduction via radio and television. The plan also includes the use of billboards, road signs and lottery machines. Manatee County does not have the roadside signs required to broadcast the Amber Alert.
Last year authorities took the plan high-tech, offering people the opportunity to register online and receive alerts via e-mail or by text message to cellular phones and pagers. Alerts can be issued on a regional or statewide basis.
Wells said he would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to issuing an Amber Alert.
"If it meets the criteria, we just do, it doesn't have to go through a lot of bureaucratic red tape," Wells said. "I think we'd do it even if it was questionable, but in this case we had no doubt that this was a clear-cut abduction."
Amber Alert criteria
To issue an Amber Alert, the following criteria must be met, according to state law enforcement officials:
- The child must be under 18 years of age.
- There must be a clear indication of an abduction.
- The law enforcement agency's investigation must conclude that the child's life is in danger.
- There must be a detailed description of the child and/or abductor/vehicle to broadcast to the public as well as a photo when available.
- The activation must be recommended by the local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction.
The system is not to be used to issue alerts about runaways, according to FDLE.
Based on the emergency alert system used to warn residents about serious weather conditions, the Amber Florida Plan involves a partnership among several state agencies - including Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Community Affairs - and the Florida Association of Broadcasters.
For more information on Florida Amber Plan, call FDLE's Missing Children Information Clearinghouse at (888) 356-4774 or log on to www.missingchildrenalert.com or www.fdle.state.fl.us/AmberPlan/