RCMP say boy safe, father in custody after Amber Alert issued in Alberta

BRULE, Alta. — Alberta RCMP say a toddler has been found unharmed and his father is in custody after an Amber Alert was issued early Friday.

The alert went out about 2:30 a.m. for the 14-month-old boy.

The Mounties said he was taken from his father’s home in the hamlet of Brule, about 315 kilometres west of Edmonton.

“An investigation was immediately conducted and assistance was obtained from neighbouring detachments,” Staff Sgt. Chris Murphy said in Hinton, Alta. “Through the course of the day, there were numerous specialized units that assisted.”

RCMP said earlier in the day that the 41-year-old father had a rifle with him when he left his house with the boy.

“Any information or leads were immediately acted upon by the investigators,” said Murphy.

On Friday afternoon, the RCMP said the home had been cleared but the vehicle was found back at the same location.

They later said the man had surrendered to officers at his home.

“We were able to locate (them) and they are both safe,” said Murphy.

He said the father was arrested without incident and taken into police custody.

“The investigation is continuing,” said Murphy. “At this point in time, I will not able to specify any specific charges.”

The child, he added, is in a safe place.

“It was a very long day for everybody involved, including the mother,” Murphy said. “We are just very happy that we had the result we did have.

“It was a lot of work by a lot of different people.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2019.

The Canadian Press