Missing Abilene Teenager Found in Metroplex

The Abilene Police Department is seeking information on a missing teenager, Amber Thebo, 15. On April 4, APD received a runaway report by Amber’s mother, April Walker, who stated her daughter left their apartment in the 2500 block of Nonesuch Rd.

APD officials said the case was assigned to a Youth Division detective who has been working this case along with several other detectives since the day the report was taken. During the follow-up investigation, detectives learned Amber attended a party at Kirby Lake in the early morning hours of April 4. She was seen at that location by multiple witnesses. Several of these witnesses reported Amber was transported voluntarily from Kirby Lake to an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Yeoman’s Rd.

Investigators contacted two residents at that apartment complex, and they said Amber was at the apartment in question on the morning of April 4. Those same residents spoke to Amber after her departure by telephone later in the day. Both witnesses stated the teenager told them she was going to Dallas/Ft. Worth to see a friend. Investigators have learned through an interview with Amber’s mother that she has run away to the DFW area in the past; therefore, steps are being take to locate her in that area.

“Many citizens have inquired about the possibility of an AMBER Alert being issued,” said APD officials. “The Texas Department of Public Safety has very specific requirements that must be met before an AMBER Alert can be issued.”

Those criteria are as follows:

1. A child 17 years of age or younger, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined to be unwilling and poses credible threat to the child’s safety and health; and, if abducted by a parent or legal guardian, the abduction was in the course of an attempted murder. Or, the child is 13 years of age or younger, and was taken willingly or unwillingly without permission from the care and custody of a parent or legal guardian by someone unrelated and more than three years older; or, another parent or legal guardian attempted or committed murder at the time of the abduction.
2. The child is in immediate danger of sexual assault, death or serious bodily injury.
3. A preliminary investigation verified the abduction and eliminated alternative explanations for the child’s disappearance.
4. Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public to help locate the child, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction.

APD stated, at this time, all information indicates this is a voluntary runaway case; however, running away is an inherently dangerous activity and places any child at risk for exploitation and harm. Therefore, APD detectives submitted this case to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on April 8, 2016, and a missing flyer has been generated.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Amber Thebo is encouraged to contact the Abilene Police Department at (325)673-8331, or the appropriate law enforcement agency immediately.

UPDATE April 15, 2 p.m.

The Abilene Police Department said that late yesterday Attorney General's Office Task Force Agents in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with the assistance of the APD, located Thebo in the Metroplex area.

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Thebo was taken into protective custody, and eventually to a hospital for evaluation. She currently remains in the Metroplex area and will soon return to Abilene. Detectives with the APD's Youth Division are with Thebo and will continue to stay with her until she is reunited with family. This continues to be an ongoing investigation involving a juvenile, so limited information will be released publicly, APD officials said.

Jodel Oshea Perez, 25, of Cleburne, was arrested for harboring a runaway, and he is currently being held in Johnson County. More charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues.

"The APD wants to communicate that our primary concern right now is Amber's health and safety," said officials.

APD officials thanked everyone involved in locating the runaway teen: FBI, Attorney General's Office Task Force, Cleburne Police Department, Texas Rangers, Johnson County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies in the DFW area. They also thanks citizens and the media for assistance in the investigation.