An alert that was issued early Monday for a 6-month-old girl from Rockwall has been called off. Officers from the Missouri Highway Patrol located the baby and the pair charged with her abduction close to Springfield.
Authorities have identified the individuals involved as the girl’s biological parents, Dakota Brady and Margaret Van Aken, who had recently been stripped of their custody rights. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has confirmed that the girl was taken from her parent’s custody in May and placed with a family member.
The Amber Alert was activated by the Texas Department of Public Safety following the report of a missing girl, who was last seen at 4:30 a.m. on the 300 block of Munson Street in Rockwall. The notification provided details about the van the couple was using, including its license plate number and description.
Recent findings from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reveal that Texas has seen the highest number of alerts issued.
Throughout the year 2023, a total of 185 Amber Alerts were activated in 36 different states. The 2023 Annual Amber Alert Report reveals that Texas accounted for 26%, translating to 49 alerts issued. North Carolina issued a total of 17 alerts, placing it second, while Ohio followed closely behind with 13 alerts, securing the third position.