Two-year-old Andrew Bailey was taken from his home, in Shingle Springs, CA, by his biological father, Charles Bailey, on March 17.  Police say the father had beaten Andrew’s mother half to death.

An Amber Alert was issued only a few hours after authorities arrived at the home on that Saturday morning.  Four hours after the search began, the father was located and arrested in Sonora, CA.  Andrew was not with him. Saturday afternoon, emergency rescue teams began searching for  the toddler along the 50-mile stretch between Shingle Springs and Sonora.  

Later that day police located the body of Andrew in the nearby town of Martell, in an alley behind the local K-Mart.  Andrew was recovered 11 hours after the Amber Alert was initiated.  This was a truly sad ending to a life that had hardly been lived. This killing marked the first time a California Amber Alert warning had ended in a child’s death.  Amber Alerts have been issued 116 times in California, resulting in the safe recovery of 145 children.   

The Amber Alert program started in Texas in 1996 after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and later found murdered.  Texas organized this system that encouraged law enforcement agencies to alert the media after confirming a child abduction.  California introduced the Amber Alert idea in 1999 as a regional program.  In 2002 it was adopted statewide after legislation established procedures to assist law enforcement.       

Amber Alerts allow law enforcement, the media, and the public to fight abduction by sending out immediate, up-to-date information that helps the child’s safe recovery.  Using radio, television, the Internet, highway information signs, and even cell phone networks, an Amber Alert gives the community the information required to find kidnapped children. 

In the last year no Amber Alerts have been issued for the Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Hollister areas.  However, that doesn’t mean the public shouldn’t be aware of other Amber Alerts that happen in California.  If someone witnesses a child abduction, they should contact the local law enforcement agency and call 911 immediately.  Provide as much information on the location of the abduction and a description of the victim, the suspect and any vehicles involved.  If someone hears about an Amber Alert, be on the lookout for the child, suspect, and vehicle described in the alert.  Immediately report any sightings by calling 911 or the telephone number included with the alert. 

Staying observant during an Amber Alert could result in the safe recovery of a kidnapped child.  Don’t let the horror story of Andrew Bailey’s abduction happen again.