Citizens Find Missing Child After Reading Nixle Alert

On Wednesday, San Angelo Police issued a Nixle Alert for a missing 9-year-old boy who did not meet the state mandated criteria for an Amber Alert. 

San Angelo Police Officers, along with help from local U.S. Customs Agents, conducted a ground and air search over the Capital Heights area of the city in an attempt to locate the missing child.  Approximately 32 minutes from the time the alert was issued, the child was located by three good Samaritans.

When officers arrived, they discovered the missing boy in the company of the citizens that located him.  San Angelo residents Monica McGee and her daughters, Kashmere and Deangelina McGee, told police they received the Nixle alert about the missing child and responded to the area to see if they could help locate him.  The trio spotted the child walking in a nearby field, along the railroad tracks.  Kashmere sat with the child while her sister, Deangelina, called police.

Nixle is a tool that connects public safety agencies to their residents via text, web and email so residents can be informed of important notifications—giving you the ability to react to traffic advisories, severe weather warnings, evacuation orders, and other critical information or alerts such as this one. 

The San Angelo Police Department would like to recognize the McGee family for quickly acting on the alert.

“I personally want to thank the McGee family for locating the missing boy.  I am grateful that they subscribe to our Nixle alerts,” Police Chief Tim Vasquez said. 

It is our hope that you and your loved ones will never need to know what it is like to have a missing child,  however we know firsthand that being prepared can make the difference in these emergencies where time is of the essence.

Here are some first steps you should take if your child goes missing:

1. Immediately call your local law enforcement agency.
2. After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678).
3. If your child is missing from home, search: closets, piles of laundry, in and under beds, inside large appliances, vehicles--including trunks--and anywhere else that a child may crawl or hide. 
4. Notify the store manager or security office if your child cannot be found when in a store. Then immediately call your local law enforcement agency.
5. Have a photo of and information about your child ready to provide to law enforcement for a full list of items and descriptive information to provide, visit www.missing.kids.com/ChildID

For information about subscribing to Nixle, visit www.local.nixle.com/san-angelo-police-department or text your zip code to 888777.