DEKALB COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO) – The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office successfully located and rescued two juveniles who were the subjects of an Amber Alert originating from Cleveland, OH.
On June 17, 2023, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office located a vehicle involved in an Amber Alert from Cleveland, OH, in the 4700 block of US.6. Following the vehicle to a Shell gas station in Waterloo, deputies made contact with the occupants and found two juveniles inside. The children were unharmed and taken into protective custody before being released to the Department of Child Services.
The alert was triggered when 34-year-old Christian Salinas, the mother of the children, failed to hand them over to Children and Family Services in Cleveland on Saturday, Fox 8 in Cleveland.
Authorities revealed that Salinas had made multiple threats to harm the children, raising concerns for their safety. The two children, a 5-year-old boy, and an 8-month-old girl, were believed to be in imminent danger. Police suspect that Andrew Lopez, the children’s father, may have been involved in the matter as an accomplice.
Before being found out of state, the children were last seen on the 1400 block of West 98th Street, as reported by the Cleveland Police. However, it remains unclear whether the parents were present with the children at the time they were located.
Cleveland Police are conducting an ongoing investigation while the children remain safe. The operation was assisted by the Waterloo Marshal’s Office, Butler Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana Department of Child Services.