Parents snap up tools to locate missing kids:

Parents have always worried about what could happen if their child went missing.

On Tuesday, children and their parents lined up for photos, fingerprinting and free DNA test kits at the Napa Police Department, part of a ongoing program popular with parents, according to Sgt. Mike Hensley.

Parents who were at the event acknowledged that while child abduction is rare and Napa is a safe city, it always helps to be prepared for the worst.

“I don’t want to be one of those parents who think nothing’s going to happen,” said Napan Monica Fiesler, who was there with her toddler son.

“It’s just to be on the safe side,” said Sara Gallegos, who was there with her two pre-school-aged girls. “If your child goes missing, they can pull up all the information.”

While waiting to be processed, children ran around the grassy area outside the station, while others got the chance to sit in a police car or see a police motorcycle. Each child who participated got a plastic “police hat” as a souvenir.

Children ranged in age from infants to pre-teens. Infants had thumb prints recorded, since their fingers are too small to identify the prints. Other parents were getting their children’s information recorded for the second or third time, since fingerprints can change as they grow.

DNA testing tools have never actually been used to find a missing child in Napa, Hensley said. But the photos and fingerprints could be useful, especially now that every police car has a computer.

Parents were given envelopes and instructions for storing samples of their children’s hair and saliva for DNA information. Police gave out CDs and USB drives so parents could record all the information in one place.

“I think it’s a real tool for parents,” said volunteer Terry Butler. “You can go to any law enforcement agency, and you have the information.”

Hensley also offered the service at National Night Out on Aug. 4, where it was one of the most attended booths.

“There seems to be a high demand for it,” Hensley said. “At National Night Out, I had to turn parents away.”

Indeed, Tuesday’s event was so popular that police ran out of ID kits. Another event will be scheduled.

Source: http://goo.gl/7rRkzB

Trinity Mount Ministries Website

Dad: Slain Calif. boy wanted to live with him:

MENIFEE, Calif. (AP) — Terry Dewayne Smith Jr. had been living with his mother for two years in Southern California when, a few months ago, the 11-year-old boy with sandy blond hair called his father in West Virginia and asked to come home.

So when the boy’s mother called from California on Sunday, Terry Dewayne Smith Sr. assumed it was about a plane ticket — until his ex-wife started asking some worrisome questions.

‘‘She asked me if I was in California and I said, ‘No, I'm still in West Virginia. Why?’ She said, ‘‘Cause your son’s missing,'’’ a shaken Terry Dewayne Smith Sr. recalled Thursday outside his Charleston, W.Va., apartment.

‘‘And just the way she talked and the way she expressed it and all that, I knew something bad happened.’’

His worst fears were confirmed Wednesday when authorities in this Southern California town 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles announced they had found a body matching Terry Jr.’s description in a shallow grave under a tree behind his mother’s house.

The boy’s 16-year-old half brother was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder and could be charged as early as Friday, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.

The suspect’s name has not been released.

Initial reports from the mother, relayed by law enforcement, described Terry Jr. as an autistic boy who took special medication and answered only to his nickname, ‘‘JuJu.’’ His father, however, insisted that his son was not autistic.

The boy lived with him until 2011, when he went to live with his mother, and was a normal kid who loved video games and baseball, he said.

‘‘He was a very bright, well-adjusted child, at least he was when he left here,’’ said Terry Smith Sr., a 62-year-old retired truck driver. ‘‘He pushed buttons and would aggravate you. But, other than that, it was just the typical way ... of a typical boy trying to get his way.’’

A phone listing for the boy’s mother, Shawna Smith, was disconnected. Messages left at a second number associated with her address were not returned.

Hundreds of volunteers searched for Terry Jr. for more than three days in abandoned trailers and campsites tucked into the scrubby hillsides of rural Riverside County, where horse ranches dot the landscape and large stretches of land remain undeveloped. Sheriff’s deputies fanned out on horseback and with bloodhounds in the triple-digit heat and helicopters buzzed overhead, searching for clues.

Now, Terry Smith Sr. just wishes he could see his son one more time. He hopes to have his remains cremated and sent back to West Virginia for burial, he said.

‘‘All I want to do is get Terry Jr. back here because that was the last thing he told me on the phone,’’ he said. ‘‘He wanted to come home.’’

Abducted Girl Search - El Sereno, California:

Brett Fletcher (@TrinityMount) tweeted at 2:07 AM on Wed, Nov 14, 2012: Report of girl's abduction in El Sereno prompts major search http://t.co/BLKuvoSb http://t.co/XwJlZ0uG (https://twitter.com/TrinityMount/status/268656329688752128) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

http://touch.latimes.com/#story/la-me-kidnapping-20121114/

Police search for missing Hanford teen, baby:

Police search for missing Hanford teen, baby:

RUNAWAY MOTHER MAY HAVE JOINED UP WITH MURDER SUSPECT

Print Email

Diana Zamora Cardenas and her one-month-old daughter are featured in a missing person's flyer that's been widely circulated on the Internet. The pair disappeared from their home in Hanford on Monday.

3 hours ago  •  By Joe Johnson

(0) Comments

HANFORD — The Internet lit up on Tuesday night with the story of a local 16-year-old girl who disappeared with her infant daughter. 

Diana Laura Zamora Cardenas was last seen at home with her month-old child, Davina Alcala, on Sunday. Cardenas’ mother reported them missing later that day. 

Police believe Cardenas may have fled to Mexico to be with her boyfriend, Nicholas Alcala, who is wanted for murder in Fresno County.

Authorities believe Alcala shot and killed 34-year-old Pedro Aispuro during a gang altercation in Huron five months ago. Alcala, a known gang member who goes by the name “Nico,” is considered armed and dangerous.

Police Lt. George Hernandez said Cardenas may still be in the area, staying with friends of the suspect before traveling south. Investigators are looking for her near Avenal and Kettleman City, but have received little help from those who know the teen runaway. 

Foul play is not suspected in her disappearance as police believe she left home voluntarily. 

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a flyer about Cardenas and her daughter’s disappearance. They describe Cardenas as a Hispanic woman standing about 5 feet 1 inch tall with black hair, brown eyes and a distinct birthmark on the inside of her left arm. 

Anyone with information about Cardenas’ whereabouts is urged to contact the Hanford Police Department at 585-2540 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. 

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425 or jjohnson@HanfordSentinel.com. 

Trinity Mount Ministries Website:

Join Trinity Mount Ministries on Twitter:

Girls returned safely to parents - Sacramento, CA:

Cops find missing girls in Sac; pimping, pandering charges follow

Girls returned safely to parents

 UPDATED 11:05 AM PDT Oct 27, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —

Police arrested two people on charges related to pimping and pandering after officers found two missing girls.

Officers with the Sacramento Police Department said they received reports of two missing girls seen staying in the 1400 block of 30th Street about 10:36 p.m. Monday.

Investigators said once they arrived at the scene, they determined the girls had been reported missing from out of state.

The parents of the girls were called -- then flown to Sacramento to take custody.

Sacramento police detectives who also serve in the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the incident.

Police said it was determined that 30-year-old Roshann Harris and 24-year-old Jason Wilson had befriended the two girls, and are suspected of pimping and pandering.

Harris and Wilson were located Wednesday and taken into custody, police said.

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/Cops-find-missing-girls-in-Sac-pimping-pandering-charges-follow/-/11797728/17158396/-/rr0mi3/-/index.html#ixzz2AYH7AofM

Trinity Mount Ministries Website:

Join Trinity Mount Ministries on Twitter:

Police looking for missing El Monte mother and children:

Police looking for missing El Monte mother and children

Posted:   10/23/2012 02:37:14 AM PDT

Updated:   10/23/2012 02:48:15 AM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Huizhen Hu, 39, was last seen by her husband the morning of Oct. 22.... (El Monte Police Department)

• 1
• 2
• 3
• »

EL MONTE - El Monte police are asking for the public's help in locating a 39-year-old woman and her two younger children who didn't come home Monday.Relatives are concerned the woman might be having psychological problems, according to El Monte Police Lt. David Vautrin.
He said Huizhen Hu's husband last saw her, their 9-year-daughter, Yanwen Wu, and their 11-year-old son, Jujie Wu, at their home in the 11100 block of Concert Street when he left for work about 7:30 a.m.
On Monday afternoon, Vautrin said the children sent a text to their older sister saying they were at a friend's house in South El Monte and will be home shortly. They didn't come home.
Police verified the children went to school on Monday and were at the friend's house but left. Vautrin said the children might have used a friend's phone to send the message.
Hu's husband also found evidence she had been packing up personal belongings at the house, police said.
Vautrin said Hu has been in the U.S. a little over a year and doesn't have a cell phone, a car or extended family here.
Huizhen Hu has light complexion, black hair, brown eyes, weighs 75 pounds and doesn't speak English. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater with black sleeves.
Yanwen Wu has black hair, brown eyes and was garbed in a dark blue polo shirt and dark blue pants.
Jujie Wu has black hair, brown eyes, stands 4 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 75 pounds. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt and dark blue pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call the El Monte Police Department at 626-580-2100. Detective Jeff Girgle is the investigator assigned to the case.

Trinity Mount Ministries:

Join Trinity Mount Ministries on Twitter:

A different take on sex trafficking in California:

OPINION

Redefining stereotypes

A different take on sex trafficking in California

BY FARAH KADER | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY CAL

Among the many issues being debated in this upcoming election, the subject of human trafficking is being spotlighted via the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act. Named Proposition 35 on this year’s ballot, the initiative aims to increase prison sentences and fines for persons convicted of trafficking, pushing the extra funds toward victims services. It also develops stronger protocol for law enforcement officers who may come across sex trafficking cases in the future. In its campaign for support, CASE presents facts to show us that this problem is not just a third-world crime. The FBI tracks 13 places in the U.S. known as high sex-trafficking areas. Three of them are in California.

The main reason why there is even a Prop. 35 debate at all is the ambiguity surrounding the idea of sex trafficking and exactly what kinds of crime it entails. There are many well-established laws in place to define certain criminals as such, and they become hard-wired into our brains — killers, thieves and terrorists are all part of the felony bubble that our country strives to eradicate. And the rigid lines that separate us from the perceived delinquent population are rarely blurred in the language of government legislation. However, in the little-publicized context of human trafficking, child pornography, and prostitution, our distinctions between the criminal and the victim are not so clear. Widespread ignorance of this topic is due in part by the mass media and in part by the narrow ideologies of many political entities that govern us. These social institutions build up barriers of apathy that have lead to our collective desertion of the men, women and children who have been forced into California’s underground sex slave industry.

Prop. 35 is an ambitious program, aimed at locking down traffickers while providing resources and services to their victims. But it also creates a dialogue centered on the sex industry and brings it to the forefront of the political sphere. It is important for students to recall that the Bay Area is home to some of the greatest innovators and revolutionaries in the world. We are a body of sharp minds and diverse interests embedded in the fabric of our university’s history of overcoming struggle and apartheid of all forms. In the wake of this election, it is time for college students to demonstrate more initiative in promoting awareness of human trafficking, or more specifically, sex trafficking and abuse. These conversations with young people often begin with how little underage prostitution is understood in this country. We must shift our narrow perceptions of the sex industry from a voluntary service between consenting adults to a source of brutal abuse and child exploitation.

The influences on young minds are direct and far-reaching. A specific example is the “pimp and ho” culture trend that is normalized by popular music and made humorous by entertainment figures. The image of scantily-clad women on street corners, at the mercy of a domineering character in a fur coat, is now a joke far too distant from our personal reality to be examined critically. The truth is that the sex industry in America is very real, and it feeds off of the degradation and manipulation of women and children. There are many circumstances that lead one to the cyclical and inescapable path of forced labor on domestic ground, such as poverty or early exposure to abuse. Regardless, any time someone takes advantage of another human being for profit, it is human trafficking. The young women, usually minors, who we dismiss as hookers and whores, are subjected to physical and psychological torture because they have not been privileged with our opportunities and good fortune. And we, the bright and gifted individuals of higher education, allow celebrities to teach us how to glorify such human mistreatment.

As a society, we are constantly snowed under by massive volumes of misinformation regarding the underground sex industries in our own state. Those opposed to the CASE Act would venture to say that prostitution is a victimless crime, a phenomena so insignificant that it deems unworthy of taxpayer dollars, something I have heard many times at anti-trafficking events. The members of Cal Not for Sale and I firmly believe in education as a crucial step to making wise voting decisions, and we implore this campus to investigate the issue further, beyond the extent of glossed-over mainstream media sources. I sincerely hope that you are all able to develop fact-supported opinions on Prop. 35 in time to place a carefully thought out vote this November.

The resources and connections I attained through Cal Not for Sale have uncovered many hidden facets of this complex global issue for me, and I attest with confidence that Prop. 35 is a small but momentous step toward justice for abuse victims nationwide. The full text of the legislation is currently available on www.caseact.org.

Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org.

Trinity Mount Ministries:

Join Trinity Mount Ministries on Twitter:

CHP Officer Youngstrom's funeral today, public:

CHP Officer Youngstrom's funeral today, public: 

http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/09/chp-officer-youngstroms-funeral-today.html

Fallen CHP officer remembered across Bay Area:

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- The single toll of a bell Thursday marked what the California Highway Patrol calls "the end of shift" for Officer Kenyon Youngstrom, killed in the line of duty in the East Bay. He was taken off life support Wednesday after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, but his commitment to serving the community lives on as his death gives others a chance at life.

There was an overwhelming show of support Thursday from people who didn't even know Officer Youngstrom but wanted his family and colleagues to know how much they appreciate his ultimate sacrifice.
It wasn't the way California highway patrolmen wanted to begin their day at the Contra Costa County office in Martinez, raising the flag as they do everyday, then lowering it to half-staff for their fallen brother. An outpouring of community support soon followed and continued throughout the morning and all day. "You know, we just don't understand why these things happen. We all want to go home at the end of the day and we want to go home safe and unfortunately, he doesn't get to do that," said Martinez resident Mike Reichmuth.

Related Content

link: Facebook page calling for I-680 to be named for Officer Youngstrom

link: California Transplant Donor Network

Story: CHP officer dies following I-680 shooting

link: CHP commissioner's statement Youngstrom's death

Story: Details emerge about man that killed CHP officer

Story: CHP officer on life support after I-680 shooting

"We just wanted to bring these balloons to show our support," Dana Scudder told ABC7 News. She and Kelly Jones did not know Officer Youngstrom. "The officers are out there serving us and protecting us at all times for our safety and this officer was injured and killed by a senseless act," Scudder said. "I drive down the road that way every day and I got caught in the traffic when it first happened. It happened right in front of me and every day now, I drive that way and it just happens again and again in my brain," Jones said. Tthe impact of Youngstrom's death reaches far and wide. As a registered organ and tissue donor, he has the potential to help save more than 50 lives. "We can impact as many as eight lives from organs and more than 50 lives from tissue. So, the organs that we can transplant are hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, and we can actually split livers into two on occasion, for very young, healthy donors. We can split the liver and give a segment each to two different individuals," explained Dr. Nikole Neidlinger with the California Transplant Donor Network.
Youngstrom's organs will be recovered within the next 24 hours. Recipients and their families will be notified that the officer's gift will give them life. The Youngstrom family issued a statement Thursday regarding the officer's organ donation saying, "Kenyon was always giving to others and serving others as a CHP officer and in his life with us. Our grief is overwhelming. But in his special way, Kenyon carries on in helping others."
"Those who knew him would not be surprised to learn that Kenyon chose to register as an organ and tissue donor. When Kenyon graduated from the police academy, he was told his job was to save a life. He does so now through his decision," it continued. "Through this gift, he will save the lives of those who need transplants as well as potentially improve the lives of many. This was our Kenyon. He's our hero and in the midst of our grief, we are comforted to know he continues to help others."
Dozens of people turned out for a private ceremony to honor Youngstrom at the CHP academy. The bell-ringing memorial tribute gives the CHP officers and cadets a chance to pay respects to their fallen brother. Youngstrom is the 223rd CHP officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1929.
"Officer Youngstrom joins an elite group of heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the premise of safety, service, and security. We thank him for his loyal and dedicated service and his family for their ultimate sacrifice," a speaker said.
A trust fund has been set up for Officer Youngstrom's family. Donors can go to any Wells Fargo branch in the Bay Area, mention his name to the teller, and ask that their donation be placed in the trust account in his name. There's also an ongoing movement on Facebook to rename the stretch of Interstate 680 where Youngstrom was killed in his name.

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Trinity Mount Ministries

Join Trinity Mount Ministries on Twitter:

The FBI - Surrogacy Scam - San Diego, California:

Surrogacy Scam
Played on Emotions of Vulnerable Victims

09/13/11
 
It’s a shocking tale.
Three women recently pled guilty in San Diego, admitting to taking part in a scheme to illegally create an inventory of babies to sell to unwitting would-be parents for fees of between $100,000 and $150,000 each.


The three took advantage of couples who desperately wanted children, offering them seemingly legitimate surrogacy situations. They also took advantage of women recruited as “gestational carriers” to carry pregnancies to term after having embryos transferred to their uteruses.
The defendants in this case included two lawyers who specialized in reproductive law: Theresa Erickson, a well-known California attorney, and Hilary Neiman, who operated an adoption/surrogacy agency in Maryland. The third conspirator was Carla Chambers of Nevada, who served as the “surrogacy facilitator.” Together, they circumvented surrogacy regulations that say contracts between surrogates and intended parents must be executed before a pregnancy occurs…and lied to surrogates, intended parents, and the California family court.

Tips to Avoid Surrogacy Schemes - Do your due diligence to find out the average costs of surrogacy services (there should be no “facilitator” fees). - Make sure you have a signed agreement in place before the start of any medical tests or procedures.  - Be leery if you’re offered a last-minute surrogacy arrangement and are told the original intended parents changed their minds (that rarely happens).  - If at all possible, work with a local attorney or agency that you can meet with in person.    - Ask lots of questions…about the process, about financial arrangements, about the surrogates or biological parents…until you’re completely satisfied.   - If you still don’t feel quite right about it, find another attorney or agency that you are comfortable with.

Here’s how the scam worked:
Chambers admitted visiting adoption/surrogacy-themed online chat rooms and forums in search of surrogates and parents. Erickson and Neiman also used their own sterling reputations to legitimize the scheme.  
Surrogates were made to travel to Ukraine in Eastern Europe to become implanted with embryos derived from anonymous donors—Chambers usually made all the arrangements—with the promise that they would be compensated by the intended parents. The women were led to believe that they were participating in legal surrogacy arrangements and that there was a waiting list of potential parents for the babies. They also had to agree to give birth in California.

They were promised quick matches with intended parents, but the co-conspirators usually waited until the second or even third trimester of the pregnancies before seeking parents. Neiman and Erickson then drafted contracts between the surrogates and intended parents, well after the time frame required by law.
The hopeful couples were told the unborn babies were the result of legitimate surrogacy arrangements, but the original intended parents had backed out. They were offered the opportunity to “assume” the non-existent surrogacy agreement. The parents would hand over between $100,000 and $150,000 to the defendants, but less than half of that went to the surrogate—Erickson, Neiman, and Chambers pocketed the rest.

The defendants typically used the Internet to recruit, solicit, and communicate with surrogates and intended parents. Most of the surrogates and parents lived outside of California. 

One of the most critical aspects of the scheme involved Erickson filing fraudulent documents in California court stating that a surrogacy agreement had been in place from the start and asking for what’s called a “pre-birth judgment” that would establish parental rights. That way, under California law, the names of the intended parents could be placed on the birth certificate when the baby was born.  

The scam was uncovered when one of the surrogates, nearly seven months pregnant, was worried that parents hadn’t been found for the baby she was carrying. She contacted a lawyer, who then contacted the FBI’s San Diego office.
Resources:
- Press release

Feds investigate 'Anonymous'; protest planned today: SF

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Another BART protest is planned in San Francisco today. The computer hacking group, "Anonymous," says they plan to protest at the Powell Street, Embarcadero and Civic Center stations today. 

The group has planned a protest every Monday since BART temporarily shut down cell service last month to avoid a protest over the killing of Charles Hill in July. Last Thursday a protest by another group, "No Justice, No BART" shut down the Powell Street station and ended with the arrests of more than two dozen demonstrators.

Related Photos

San Francisco BART demonstrations
View all 38 photos

Meanwhile, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal investigators have now opened a series of official investigations into the hacker group. The FBI has carried out more than 75 raids and arrested 16 people this year in connection with illegal hacking jobs claimed by Anonymous.

Concord assemblywoman co-authors parole bill inspired by Jaycee Dugard:

Concord assemblywoman co-authors parole bill inspired by Jaycee Dugard

By Paul Thissen
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 08/16/2011 07:14:25 PM PDT

Updated: 08/17/2011 10:04:57 AM PDT

Seeking to draw lessons from the Jaycee Dugard case, State Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, has co-authored a bill to broaden the information the state parole board can consider when evaluating whether to release an inmate.

She will speak alongside Sen. Ted Gaines, R—Roseville, and Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, D-El Dorado Hills, in Sacramento at a Wednesday morning news conference announcing the bill, the "Parole Reform Act of 2011."
Right now, the parole board can only consider an inmate's behavior while in prison when deciding whether to parole him, Bonilla said.
The bill would allow the parole board to consider the type of offense the inmate was convicted of, as well as any prior convictions. It would also require the inmate to produce proof that he or she is ready for parole, as opposed to placing that burden on the parole board, as is currently the case, she said.
The changes would let the parole board make better decisions, she said.
"They need to be able to exercise every possible degree of discretion," Bonilla said.
Even though Phillip Garrido was released on federal -- not California -- parole, his ability to escape detection brought the problems in the system to light, Bonilla said.
"While this bill specifically would not have prevented Garrido's release on parole, what we're saying is there's something that has come to light that we can correct," Bonilla said.
"The system needs to be changed, and it can be changed."

‘San Diego’s Most Wanted’ Show Celebrates First Anniversary, 57 Captures:

Brett Fletcher

‘San Diego’s Most Wanted’ Show Celebrates First Anniversary, 57 Captures:
Drawn from FBI investigations and local police departments—feature fugitives, thieves, and violent criminals who have active warrants for their arrest. Missing children are also publicized, which explains the recent on-location filming at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Washington, D.C.
http://tiny.cc/etzja

‘San Diego’s Most Wanted’

www.fbi.gov

San Diego TV show featuring fugitives and missing kids marks first anniversary, 57 captures.