An AMBER Alert issued for the two boys says they are in danger of “serious bodily harm or death.” Their father has been identified as a suspect.
Two Utah toddlers are missing and facing “imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death,” after their “seriously depressed” father allegedly failed to attend a custody exchange.
An AMBER Alert was issued for the two boys, Will Richman, 22 months and Wesley Richman, 10 months, in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on Saturday, May 16.
One relative posted: “Please, we need your help and prayers for these boys.”
The AMBER Alert described their father, Dane Stephen Richman, as “seriously depressed,” and under financial stress. The alert, issued by the Utah Department of Public Safety, said that he had been selling his possessions and had abandoned his home.
Richman has been identified as a suspect. The children’s mother contacted the police to request a welfare check on Thursday, after Dane Richman missed a court-related deposition in an ongoing custody case, according to a report from KUTV.
The mother contacted police again on Saturday, after the children were supposed to be returned in a custody exchange, and no one showed up.
That call triggered the AMBER Alert.
The AMBER Alert states that “The first suspect is identified as Dane Stephen Richman. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes.”
The two boys have blonde hair and blue eyes. Will Richman is 2 feet 6 inches, and weighs about 31 Ibs. Wesley Richman is 2 feet 2 inches and weighs about 23 Ibs.
Authorities said that they are believed to be in a Black Toyota Camry with a Utah license plate A561HL, but note that the vehicle could have a temporary tag and that the license plate may not be visible.
A woman named Kate Walters shared a post to Facebook and identified herself as a family member. “My sister’s children have been abducted,” she wrote in the post, adding, “Please, we need your help and prayers for these boys.”
What is an AMBER Alert?
An AMBER Alert—short for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response—is an emergency notification system designed to notify the public when a child is believed to have been abducted and faces imminent danger of serious injury or death.
When law enforcement confirms that a child under 17 has been taken and meets activation criteria, the alert is issued. It pushes details about the child, the suspected abductor, and any associated vehicle across multiple channels, including Wireless Emergency Alerts, TV and radio broadcasts, and highway message boards.
Since its launch, the AMBER Alert system has been credited with helping recover more than 1,000 missing children across the United States.
The goal is to enlist the public’s help in the critical early hours of an abduction. This gives law enforcement additional eyes and ears to aid in locating missing children and apprehending suspects. Officials emphasize that such alerts are time-sensitive and are often deployed within hours of an abduction to maximize the chances of safely recovering a child.
Source: Utah News