• Updated

November 19, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee: COLUMBUS – The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee is reminding Ohioans that leaving unattended children in running vehicles, even for a brief period of time, can result in stranger abductions requiring an AMBER Alert activation. From 2021 through 2024, of the 48 total AMBER alert activations in Ohio initiated by either the Ohio State Highway Patrol or Cuyahoga Emergency Communications System, six involved children being left in stolen vehicles. These six stranger abductions were all the result of individuals, whether they were parents, guardians or caretakers, leaving children in running vehicles while the adult entered places of business for short periods of time. Activities included picking up pizzas, getting items at gas stations and dropping off siblings at day care or preschool. Each incident led to AMBER Alert activations because children were left unattended in running vehicles.