Amber alert issued in Riverdale after four children abducted, later found safely
Riverdale Police Department Chief Mark Kozeluh told NBC Chicago that the children are undergoing a medical examination as a precaution
An amber alert has been issued in Chicago after four children were kidnapped by a man. While the authorities have found the children safe but the accused has not been arrested yet.
Riverdale Police Department Chief Mark Kozeluh told NBC Chicago that the children are undergoing a medical examination as a precaution.
The accused linked to the kidnapping of the children has been identified as Austin Bell. He is still on the run.
Police earlier reported that officers were called to the 13000 block of South Lowe around 1:26 am regarding an abduction.
The four children were reportedly in the backseat of an Acura SUV when 30-year-old Austin Bell, who is not the father of any of the kids, drove off with the vehicle. He drove away in a silver 2010 Acura MDX.
The car has an Illinois license plate, as per the police, which has also released the vehicle number. Also Read | South Carolina State University on lockdown after shooting at Hugine Suites: What we know so far
Police have classified the kidnapping of the minor children “domestic-related kidnapping.”
Who are the children?
The children who were kidnapped but later found were Nolan Hill, Noah Hill, Nia Hill and Nova Hill. There are no reports if the children are related.
Earlier, police in suburban Atlanta said they found the body of a six-month-old boy wrapped in a trash bag, dead from blunt force trauma to the head, after his father initially claimed the baby was kidnapped during an armed robbery.
Both the father and the mother were denied bail Friday and remained in jail after they were charged in the death of Nnakai Pratt. Also Read | Shooting at North Carolina weekend party; 2 killed, 13 shot
Antonio Pearce told Clayton County police on Sunday that Nnakai was snatched while sitting in his car seat by two armed men who also stole $6,500 in cash and 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) of marijuana.
The kidnapping was alleged to have happened in an apartment that Pearce said he was using as a stash house in Riverdale, about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Atlanta. But late Tuesday, police found Nnakai's body in the backyard of a house, just on the other side of a fence from the apartment complex.
Clayton County Detective Chieyenne Reynolds said, “He was caught in a lot of lies throughout his interview process.”
(With agency inputs)