Family Seeks New Alert System After 5-Year-Old Child Found Dead; Wisconsin Authorities Deny Amber Alert Request
Wisconsin Mother Advocates for PRINCE ALERT, a New Subsection of Amber Alerts, in Honor of Deceased Son, Who Did Not Meet Strict Amber Alert Criteria Despite Disappearance
- Prince McCree, a 5-year-old boy, was reported missing on October 25 by his mother, but no Amber Alert was issued due to the strict criteria of the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
- Prince was found dead in a dumpster the day after he was reported missing. Erik Mendoza, 15, and David Pietura, 27, who lived with Prince and his mother, were charged with murder after allegedly admitting their involvement to the police.
- An Amber Alert requires a child to be 17 or younger, in 'danger of serious bodily harm or death’ and the police have to provide the state with 'enough descriptive information about the child.'
- In response to Prince's case, Wisconsin State Senator LaTonya Johnson is exploring the creation of a local alert system when incidents don't meet the Amber Alert criteria.
- Prince's family has started a petition to establish a new alert system named 'PRINCE ALERT' to cover situations where children are missing but do not fit the strict Amber Alert criteria. They hope this would help all missing children get immediate attention and increase their chances of being found safe.