Missing 12-year-old Houston girl found safe, suspect detained for questioning
HOUSTON – A suspect has been detained for questioning after a missing 12-year-old Houston girl was found safe.
The child was last seen at about 3 a.m. Monday with a 26-year-old man in the 4100 block of Little York Road in Houston.
Police initially said she was last with Ariel Anderson. Houston police say he has been detained for questioning in Louisiana. The two were believed to be in a 2015 black Chevrolet Tahoe with Louisiana license plate No. 310GOE.
Amber Alerts in Texas
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's latest data points to the most Amber Alerts issued in Texas.
Between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, 185 Amber Alerts were issued across 36 states. Data from the 2023 Annual Amber Alert Report shows that 26%, or 49 of those alerts, were issued in Texas. North Carolina had the second-most alerts issued — 17 — and Ohio came in third with 13 alerts issued.
The history of the Amber Alert
The first Amber Alert was issued on January 13, 1996, after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was reported missing. The body of the little girl who lived in Arlington was found four days later in a creek.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children shares the story of a woman in the community who called for a public Emergency Alert System. Diane Simone wanted community members to be alerted when there's a child missing so they could help in the search. She requested it be named after Amber Hagerman and hence, Amber's Plan was created in her memory.