AMBER Alert Update: Ohio Dad Charged With Abducting Infant Son
The non-custodial Ohio father accused of abducting his 2-month-old son who was the subject of an AMBER Alert is in police custody.
Russell Burris, 27, was taken into custody by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday hours after Caius Burris’ alert went into effect.
The infant was found at an apartment complex in the 4100 block of Lachlan Landings Drive near Groveport, but Russell Burris remained at large until his arrest in the evening.
Burris was charged with domestic violence.
A Caius Burris and a booking photo for his father, Russell Burris.
AMBER Alert/Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
Russell Burris took the infant during a domestic dispute at 3:25 p.m. on Tuesday, law enforcement said. A woman reportedly called 911 to report Russell Burris took their child and left her at a business in Lithopolis.
The father and son were last seen in a silver 2009 Honda Accord.
According to the Fairfield Sheriff’s Office, Bernard Turner, 58, and Rhonda Sprague, 53, may have also been passengers in the car.
The sheriff’s office said they had reason to suspect that Caius Burris was in danger at the time of the abduction.
Newsweek has contacted the FCSO for more information.
What Is An AMBER Alert?
AMBER Alert is a nationwide notification system used to alert the public of missing children under the age of 18.
The alerts are shared across radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices.
As of last year, 1,200 children were found because of the AMBER Alert system and 180 children were rescued as a result of the emergency alerts.
In order for an alert to be issued, an abduction must have occurred, the child must be at risk of serious injury or death, and there has to be descriptive information about the child, the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle.
“Every child featured in an AMBER Alert has been reported missing to law enforcement. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child,” Alan S. Nanavaty, Executive Director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, told Newsweek.
Nanavaty said on average, there are generally fewer than 200 AMBER Alerts issued each year. The alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices. The AMBER Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also leverages ways to include posters and social media distribution to amplify Amber Alerts to the public, Nanavaty said.
Newsweek created a map using 2022 data showing which states saw the most Amber alerts in 2022. According to the data, there were 31 Amber Alerts in Texas in 2022.
Active AMBER Alerts
There is one other active AMBER Alert for a boy in Tennessee.
Sebastian Rogers, 15, has been missing since February 26. He was last seen at his mother and stepfather’s home in Sumner County, Tennessee.
The search continues for Sebastian Rogers, 15, who disappeared from his Tennessee home in February.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
He is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and he wears glasses. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.
Anyone with information about Rogers is being asked to call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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