Tips pour in about Amber Alert but still no sign of missing Caldwell kids
Published at | Updated at
Nancy Grace will feature a segment on her show tonight about this Amber Alert case. EastIdahoNews.com Nate Eaton reporter was interviewed and will appear on the show at 6 p.m. MST on HLN.
CALDWELL — Detectives have received numerous tips since an Amber Alert was issued Monday as officials continue to search for three children traveling with their custodial mother and a man suspected of producing child pornography.
Lewis “Louie” Dunn, 10, Kaylee Dunn, 9, and Kaydn Smith, 6, are believed to be in imminent danger due to circumstances surrounding their disappearance, according to the Caldwell Police Department.
Police say Jason “Travis” Simon and Sarah Joy VanOcker-Dunn fled Caldwell with the children nearly two weeks ago. Simon is wanted by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office after detectives were tipped off that he was creating child pornography.
Investigators served a search warrant June 2 at Simon’s home, but when authorities arrived, Simon, VanOcker-Dunn and the children were gone.
Simon is the father of one of the children and VanOcker-Dunn is an adopted parent of the other two. Despite being the children’s legal guardian, authorities say VanOcker-Dunn does not have legal authority to take the children out-of-state. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office, who initially investigated the case, believes one of the children is a victim of Simon.
“We’ve been able to establish that she has been abused and right now she’s currently with her abuser,” Ada County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ryan Pacecho told KBOI June 6. “We want to bring her home and make sure she’s safe as soon as possible.”
After the children went missing, a warrant for VanOcker-Dunn was issued on a felony charge of custodial interference.
The couple and kids were last seen June 2 around 5 p.m. in Emmett where they obtained camping equipment, according to authorities.
RELATED: WHY DID AUTHORITIES WAIT SO LONG TO ISSUE AN AMBER ALERT?
An Amber Alert was issued Monday around 4 p.m. – hours after family members held a rally at the Statehouse pushing for the alert.
Natalie Benson, the biological mother of Louie and Kaylee, told the Idaho Statesman that she is relieved the Amber Alert was finally issued because the family has been asking for it since the day the kids disappeared.
“I’ve been fighting every day for it. I’ve been screaming at people,” Jesse Dunn, told KIVI Monday. “I’ll be happy when my kids are with me. I’ll be happy when I know they are safe.”
Jesse Dunn is the spouse of VanOcker-Dunn and adopted father of two of the children.
Idaho State Police spokeswoman Teresa Baker says the Amber Alert was issued after detectives learned VanOcker-Dunn is now wanted on a felony charge of custodial interference.
“A change in circumstances arose which allowed the issuance of the Amber Alert outside of the normal guidelines when a felony arrest warrant for custodial interference for VanOcker-Dunn was issued,” Baker wrote in an ISP blog post.
Simon, VanOcker-Dunn and the three children have been spotted in Arcada, California on June 8 and Sparks, Nevada on June 12.
They were last driving a 2006 Gold Pontiac Montana van with Idaho license plate number 2CJN683. Anyone who spots the group is asked to call 911.