Crime & Safety

AMBER ALERT CANCELED: 2 Toddlers Abducted In Stolen Car Found, Reunited With Family

Police say the family has been reunited and shared a photo of them.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Two boys who were fastened in a car when it was stolen and became the subjects of an Amber Alert on Thursday night are now safely reunited with their family, police report.

"Crimes involving children [tend] to put everybody on an emotional roller coaster! CCPD was happy to see the Cortes family reunited this morning!" the Cathedral City Police Department reported on Facebook on Friday, while sharing the above photo of the family.

Police said 1-year-old Jayden Cortez and 2-year-old Carlos Cortez were found "safe and sound" by Riverside County Sheriff's deputies in the white 2016 four-door Honda Accord they were taken in.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The car was abandoned, and there was no immediate reports of arrests.


ORIGINAL STORY:

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA — An Amber Alert has been issued after two children were taken Thursday evening in Cathedral City, police say. The boys are just 1 and 2.

"Tonight at 6:44 p.m. an unknown suspect stole a white 2016 Honda Accord, with two Hispanic male children ages 1 and 2 yrs-old, from the 31500 blk of Whispering Palms, in Cathedral City," police said in a Facebook post.

The Accord's license plate is: 7TJR654. It has tinted windows and was last seen heading towards Ramon Road, police say.

Jayden Cortez, who is 1 year old, is 17 inches tall and weighs about 30 pounds. Jayden was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue shorts, police said.

Carlos Cortez, who is 2 years old, is 2 feet tall and weighs about 40 pounds.


Here's the full text of the amber alert, as issued by the California Highway Patrol late Thursday night:

AN AMBER ALERT IS BEING ISSUED BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL ON BEHALF OF THE CATHEDRAL CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ONLY: IMPERIAL, LOS ANGELES, ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, SAN BERNARDINO AND SAN DIEGO.

ON MARCH 23, 2017, AT 6:44 PM, JAYDEN CORTEZ AND CARLOS CORTEZ WERE ABDUCTED FROM CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA.

JAYDEN CORTEZ IS A 1 YEAR OLD HISPANIC MALE, 1 FOOT 5 INCHES TALL, WEIGHING 30 POUNDS, WITH BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES, LAST SEEN WEARING A WHITE SHIRT AND BLUE SHORTS.

THE SECOND VICTIM, CARLOS CORTEZ, IS A 2 YEAR OLD HISPANIC MALE, 2 FEET TALL, WEIGHING 40 POUNDS, WITH BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES, WEARING UNKNOWN CLOTHING.

THE SUSPECT IS UNKNOWN. THESE CHILDREN WERE ABDUCTED DURING THE COMMISSION OF A VEHICLE THEFT.

THE SUSPECT WAS LAST SEEN DRIVING A 2016 WHITE HONDA ACCORD, WITH A CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATE NUMBER 7TJR654. ALL WINDOWS ARE TINTED ON THIS VEHICLE.IF SEEN CALL 9-1-1


KESQ-TV reports that the two children were in their babysitter's car, who had stepped out of the vehicle momentarily when it was taken.

Anyone with information is asked to immediately call 911.

--

Images via Cathedral City police

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.