The children were allegedly abducted by their non-custodial parent, Khadejha Emony Coran, 22.
As police worked the case, a question surfaced asking: What’s the difference between an Endangered Child Advisory and an Amber Alert?
Here’s what we know:
An Amber Alert is defined as an emergency response system that disseminates information about a missing person (typically a child) by media broadcasting or electronic roadway signs, according to the Amber Alert website, www.amberalert.gov.
Criteria for an Amber Alert includes:
- Reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
- Law enforcement believes the child is in imminent danger of serious harm of death
- There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert to assist in the recovery of a child
- The abduction is of a child 17 or younger and the child's name and other critical data elements have been entered into the National Crime Information Center system.
An Endangered Child Advisory is a part of an Endangered Missing Advisory. An EMA is used for cases involving missing persons that do not meet Amber Alert criteria.
The Springfield missing children case was not a statewide Amber Alert because it did not meet the criteria for a statewide alert, said Lt. Russell Pasqualetti of the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Columbus.
Springfield police did contact the state patrol, which determines when a statewide alert is issued. OSP determined there was no specific or imminent threat to the children, Pasqualetti said.
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Police are still searching for Coran. Those with any information about Coran are urged to call local police, 911 or Springfield police, 937-324-7680.
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