Alert Plan Praised in Rescue of Girls

Aug. 2 -- Two teenage California girls who were kidnapped at gunpoint Thursday owe part of their rescue to AMBER.

AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. But it also represents the legacy of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped from an Arlington, Texas, street in 1996 and found slain in a drainage ditch four days later.

California authorities triggered AMBER alerts soon after the two girls were taken at gunpoint early Thursday morning. The alerts were hard to miss.

Radio and television stations offered frequent updates. Flashing messages showed up on freeway signs, giving the motorists the license plate and description of the Ford Bronco that the assailant stole in the kidnapping.

"It was great," said Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Larry Waldie. "We just got the system last week and it sent out bulletins over the radio and television right away. We had people working on the case right away, from 2 in the morning, and because of the system, two girls are safe. It's fantastic."

Enlisting the Public

Officials say because it was their first time using the alert system , they faced some complications that caused a delay in getting the message out. But despite the delay, they say the system was effective.

"As far as I'm concerned, it worked just the way it was supposed to work," said Michael Soderbergh, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's chief of detectives. "The planets were aligned correctly on this one. It worked marvelously. … I honestly believe it could not have worked any better."

California State Assemblyman George Runner said legislators are working to pass legislation to improve the system, and make it easier for law enforcement to disseminate the information.

The alert messages may have been the reason why an animal control officer was able to recognize the Bronco with the two kidnapped girls inside and contact authorities. The California Highway Patrol tracked the car and officers eventually killed the kidnapping suspect.