VERONA, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UPDATED 1:o5 PM 12/11:  There was a lot of information to gather the morning of the December 5 Augusta County Amber Alert “so that we could put out the most accurate information that we had”. That’s an explanation from the county sheriff’s office for a missing children’s alert issued 2-and-a-half hours after they got the kidnapping call. And a State Police statement was similar about a three-hour lag between an Augusta County Sheriff’s media alert about the Fishersville apartment complex bus stop kidnapping.

The Augusta Sheriff issued a media alert for the three kidnapped children around 11 that morning. They got the call around 8:30am. In that alert, the sheriff said a State Police Amber Alert was pending… an alert that did not go out until 3 hours later.

State Police in a statement said it can “take much effort and time to confirm the facts… prior to release”, and law enforcement was already “in contact with the biological mother” during the time the Amber Alert was issued. That led to her apprehension in Alabama and safe recovery of the children.

The entire State Police statement is below:

“With this event, law enforcement agencies were actively investigating and searching for the three children well before the AMBER Alert broadcast. It can often take the primary agency much effort and time to confirm the facts of the situation prior to release. The execution of an AMBER Alert allows the public to aid in a search, so it is imperative the information be accurate. Additionally, law enforcement efforts in this matter led to contact with the biological mother during the event, which was a critical piece leading to her apprehension and the safe recovery of the children.

Reference alert broadcast protocol, we are the issuing agency for all alerts in the Commonwealth. For an alert to be issued, the requesting agency needs to a) make the request, and b) provide the information necessary to issue the alert.

For an AMBER Alert to be issued, the following circumstances surrounding a child, or children, must be met:

1. Whereabouts be unknown,
2. Believed to be abducted,
3. Believed to be in imminent danger of serious bodily harm,
4. An investigation has taken place to verify the abduction, and
5. Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public to assist in locating the child, the suspect, or the suspect vehicle
If you have any questions, reach out.

ORIGINAL:

Augusta County Sheriff Donald L. Smith is investigating the delay between his office’s December 5, 2024, alert regarding three children who had been kidnapped and an Amber Alert.

Three children –Jai’Marcus Lewis, 10, Ja’Miyah Lewis, 8, and Ja’Liyah Lewis, 6– were waiting to board their school bus when they were taken away in a black car. According to a news release from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office that went out at approximately 11:00 a.m., the office learned at 8:27 a.m. that the three were last seen at the bus stop at 7:40 a.m. Virginia State Police, however, did not issue an Amber Alert until three hours later.

The children were recovered and their biological mother, Shanice Davison, taken into police custody that evening. But the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous inquiries regarding the delay in the issuance of the Amber Alert.

In a December 10, 2024, news release, Smith said that his office is actively working with Virginia State Police to investigate the cause of the delay, provide feedback, and implement improvements to the process to ensure such issues do not occur in the future.

Sheriff Smith’s entire news release is found below.

 

Media Release: Amber Alert Delay on December 5, 2024

On December 5, 2024, three children were abducted in the Fishersville area of Augusta County, by their estranged mother. Thanks to the swift efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the offender, Shanice Davison, was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail in North Birmingham, Alabama. The children involved in this incident have been safely located and returned to their father.

Since this incident, the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous inquiries regarding the delay in the issuance of the Amber Alert.  It is important to clarify that the Amber Alert system is a collaborative effort between local law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia State Police, and federal law enforcement agencies.  The State Police is ultimately responsible for issuing the alert once the required information is received.  The Amber Alert is a tool used to disseminate critical information to the public quickly and efficiently.  However, before an Amber Alert can be used, law enforcement must gather specific and detailed information about the case and relay it to the State Police.  This process ensures that the information shared with the public is accurate and actionable.

“While the Amber Alert in this case was delayed, interagency cooperation between the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, Alabama authorities, and federal law enforcement was initiated immediately and without hesitation to ensure the safety of the children,” said Sheriff Donald L. Smith.

The Sheriff’s Office is actively working closely with our Virginia State Police partners to investigate the cause of the delay, provide feedback, and implement improvements to the process to ensure such issues do not occur in the future.

The safety and well-being of our community, particularly our children, is our top priority.  We remain committed to enhancing our service to the community and strengthening our partnerships across agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes in critical situations.

We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we investigate the cause for the delay.  We strive to improve our services and strengthen partnerships across law enforcement agencies to better serve the Augusta County community and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

End of release.