Amber Alert Canceled, 3-Year-Old Abducted Girl Found
EL PASO — Police have found a three-year-old girl taken forcibly from her father’s apartment Wednesday afternoon.
Police said Jaylin Talamantes was abducted by her mother, 23-year-old Monica Iglesias, and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Daniel Escobar.
An “Amber Alert” was issued late Wednesday night. Police say Iglesias called to let them know she had the toddler and wanted to meet them at the Paso Del Norte Bridge.
Police say both Iglesias and Escobar have been arrested and charged with burglary of a habitation. Officials say the warrant was issued as a result of the actions to take the child from the residence of her father at 447 S. Schutz, police said.
Investigators said the child appears to be in good condition.
The news of the toddler’s abduction brought back painful memories for the the family of Alejandra Flores. She was abducted from the Wal-Mart at Alameda and Zaragoza in 2002. Police later found her dead.
“It was very upsetting that the police department didn’t call the Amber Alert as soon as they knew the little girl was abducted,” said Perla Sanchez, Flores’ aunt.
Sanchez said that it took five hours for the Amber Alert information to reach the airways, similar to the time it took for the alert to go into effect when Flores was abducted.
“It’s a long time. In five hours [the abductors] could be in Mexico,” said Sanchez. She said she had trouble going to sleep Wednesday night thinking where Iglesias could be.
Police Officials said they issued a local and regional Amber Alert as soon as possible. “Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, we live and work in a real world … [these alerts] takes time,” EPPD Spokesman Chris Mears.
Mears said police never issued a state-wide Amber Alert for Iglesias because there are certain criteria that have to be met. “This case didn’t meet those elements,or those requirements. Therefore, it was kept at the local and regional level.”
Sanchez believes a state and nationwide alert should come immediately and without any requirements. “It brings back Alejandra’s situation … how she was abducted and everything … It brings everything back.”
