The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for two sisters who were allegedly abducted by their father after their mother was found dead on Tuesday.

The Context

Amber Alert is a nationwide alert system used to notify the public of missing children under 18. As of last year, over 1,200 children were successfully recovered through the AMBER Alert system.

Officials are searching for 3-year-old Arya Maldonado and 2-year-old Alana Maldonado. Their father, 23-year-old Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, is listed as a suspect in their abduction on the Amber Alert.

What To Know

The King’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Hanford at around 4 p.m. after receiving a request for a wellness check. Deputies found a woman dead from a gunshot wound at the home.

Detectives have identified Maldonado-Cruz as the suspect. He was last seen on Monday in Hanford. Officials believe he left the home at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday with the children he shares with the deceased victim.

Maldonado-Cruz is believed to be driving a gray 2020 Hyundai Elantra with California license plate number 8LZD084. The sheriff’s office said he may have fled to Mexico.

Arya is described as 3 feet tall and weighing around 25 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Alana is described as 2-foot-5, weighing around 20 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what clothing they are wearing.

Maldonado-Cruz is described as 5-foot-9, weighing around 215 pounds. He has black hair and black eyes.

Amber Alerts are broadcast across radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices. A disappearance must meet specific criteria for an alert to be issued. An abduction must have occurred, the child must be at risk of serious injury or death and there has to be descriptive information about the child, the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle.

What People Are Saying

California Highway Patrol, in an Amber Alert: “Jonathan Maldonado is possibly enroute to Mexico and should be considered armed and dangerous.”

Alan S. Nanavaty, executive director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, previously told Newsweek: “The goal of an Amber Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child.”

What Happens Next

Anyone with information about the case or the whereabouts of Maldonado-Cruz and the children is being asked to contact Detective Tyler Haener at (559) 670-9320 or (559) 852-2818 or Kings County Sheriff’s Dispatch at (559) 852-2720. Information can also be given anonymously by contacting (559) 852-4554.

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