Child Abduction Alert (Illinois) *Update: Baby found safe

This just popped up on my weatherbug. I remember the last time I had an alert, it ended tragically.. I'm praying this child can be found.

Quote:

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Issued by The National Weather Service
Lincoln, IL
8:23 am CST, Fri., Nov. 28, 2008

AT THE REQUEST OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT... THE ILLINOIS EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED FOR AN AMBER ALERT AT 420 AM. A LIGHT GREEN 2003 DODGE CARAVAN ILLINOIS LICENSE X 5 3 3 1 3 1 WAS STOLEN INSIDE THE VAN WAS A 7 MONTH OLD MALE... OSIAL HERNANDEZ HISPANIC 2 FOOT 20 POUNDS BROWN HAIR AND EYES. THE SUSPECT IS A MALE HISPANIC.

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They have released a photo of him now.

http://media1.suntimes.com/multimedi...0.imageContent

It breaks my heart to hear things like this,But to the parents what on earth did they leave there child in the vehicle in the first place.I swear it makes my blood boil when i hear how stupid some people can be.

We don't know he was intentionally left, Lori - sadly children have been taken during car-jackings in the past. People in parking lots are particularly vulnerable, as this time of year, they are often so concentrating on loading and unloading child, packages, bundles, returning the cart ... and at any moment, the crime can happen. Let's not blame the parent yet, okay?

We will say a prayer that he is found safe and returned unharmed.

Unfortunately in this case, the mother really did leave the baby unattended in a running vehicle.

Quote:

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His mother, a newspaper distributor, had left him in the van early Friday with the engine running while she was bundling newspapers for delivery inside a building at 4242 W. Bryn Mawr, police said.

She came out of a building to check on her son and went back inside. When she returned, the van was gone, police said.

According to unconfirmed police dispatch reports, the baby was sleeping and covered with a blanket in the back seat when the car was stolen. The mother had left the car running and unlocked.

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I can't imagine how badly she must be wishing she could turn back time right now. It makes my heart hurt to think of it.

What's even more tragically ironic is the cops had pulled over the thief before they knew he was a thief and abductor, but let him go to respond urgently to a shots fired situation. More about it here:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/13...112808.article

I don't know what way to turn now,I don't think any child should be left unattended at any point in a vehicle that is not running,running or even locked you just don't do that.And being out at that time a night you never know who is out,For that matter you never know what could happen and you just dont take the chance.Its sad to hear this happening,but better judjment i think was needed.

You hear of this almost everyday,Its not always the parents at fault but there is a good percentage that are.I watch Nancy Grace almost everyday its not hard to blame the parent in these kinds of situations.

Happy news, he's been found :)

http://www.wbbm780.com/HAPPY-UPDATE-...s-Safe/3400473

Thank you for posting the happy update. I wonder if the thief originally didn't even notice the baby because he was asleep, and thought "hey, a running car, I'll take it!" then noticed the kid and panicked and abandoned the car where it would be found.