St. Louis Police Say AMBER Alert Was Fabricated; 1-Year-Old Found Safe

St. Louis, Mo. (KFMO) - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says a Sunday night AMBER Alert involving a one-year-old child was triggered by a fabricated report, and the child was never in danger.

SLMPD says investigators have confirmed the child’s mother fabricated the report, falsely claiming the one-year-old had been abducted and that her vehicle had been stolen. Police say the child was never inside the vehicle.

Because the initial report involved an allegedly abducted one-year-old, police immediately mobilized a significant number of personnel, technology and investigative resources to locate the child.

St. Charles City Police located the vehicle near Highway 370 and North Third Street, but the child was not inside. Detectives with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s District 4 and Juvenile Division continued following available leads.

With assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, detectives located the child and confirmed around 2:30 a.m. that the child was safe.

The child’s 25-year-old mother was taken into custody. Police say she knowingly made a false report that resulted in the issuance of an AMBER Alert. According to SLMPD, making such a false report is a Class A misdemeanor.

Investigators also determined that the woman had been using drugs and was experiencing substance-use issues.

Police say the fabricated report resulted in a significant deployment of law enforcement resources that could otherwise have been used for legitimate calls for service and other emergencies throughout the city.

While investigators are relieved the child was never in danger, SLMPD said the false report had real consequences because of the personnel and resources required to respond to what was initially reported as a child abduction.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department thanked the Missouri State Highway Patrol, FBI St. Louis, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, East St. Louis Police Department, St. Charles City Police Department and Granite City Police Department for their assistance.