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Officers from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office found 12-year-old Allyanna Hernandez on Monday, April 3, 2023, 48 hours after she was reported missing. According to the Sheriff's Office, Allyanna was found safe at a residence in Tarrant County, Texas, and returned to her mother. They also took a 19-year-old into custody for the girl's disappearance.
Allyanna Hernandez was last seen around midnight on Saturday, April 1, 2023, along the 1600 block of St. Vincent Street in Gonzales, Texas. After the 12-year-old was reported missing on Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued an AMBER ALERT to locate her.
The AMBER Alert described Allyanna as five feet tall, weighing nearly 90 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was reportedly wearing glasses, a white blouse, blue bell-bottom jeans, and white shoes.
Allyanna Hernandez was believed to be in "grave or immediate danger"
Following Allyanna Hernandez's disappearance, law enforcement officials believed that she was in grave or immediate danger. People were urged to call the Gonzales Police Department with any information on the young girl's whereabouts.
After Allyanna was found, the Gonzales Inquirer reported police Lt. Jason Montoya saying:
"Gonzales Police Department would like to thank the Texas Department of Public Safety Amber Alert Fusion Center, Texas Rangers, FBI, Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, The National Missing and Exploited Children and Dallas Police Department for their assistance."
He also expressed gratitude towards the people who called with tips or supposed sightings of the girl.
Allyanna Hernandez was found inside the house of 19-year-old Guillermo Flores. Authorities believe that Allyanna walked away from her house and later ran away with Flores in his car. He has been charged with harboring a runaway.
Authorities are yet to determine Allyanna Hernandez's relationship with the suspect.
AMBER Alerts are issued in most serious child-abduction cases
The AMBER Alert, which stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, was started in 1996, according to the US Department of Justice. AMBER Alerts are activated in the most serious child abduction cases to urge the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child. AMBER Alerts are sent through radio, TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices.
The official website of AMBER Alert says that the system is currently used in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and 27 other countries.
The website added:
"The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has tasked the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children with managing the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution Program. When law enforcement issues an AMBER Alert, NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) is notified and re-distributes the alert to the appropriate secondary distributors."
According to a December 2022 report, as of January 2, 2023, the AMBER Alert helped in the recovery of 1127 children across the country. Meanwhile, the wireless emergency alerts helped in the recovery of 131 children.
