An Amber Alert is out for two missing children after their mother was found dead in a house that had been set on fire. Christina Anderson and an as yet unidentified child died when the house burned down, and cops in California believe a man Christina called a friend set the blaze. What's more, James Lee DiMaggio, 40, is believed to have taken off with Christina's two kids from San Diego, possibly heading to Canada.
Hannah Anderson, 16, and her brother, Ethan Anderson, 8, have been missing since Sunday, although the Amber Alert wasn't issued until a day later. Their photos are being spread far and wide, along with a photo of their alleged kidnapper, and the hunt is on.
And mark my words, this hunt is serious.
There's always an air of desperation with an Amber Alert. In order to issue one, Amber Alert criteria require police to believe the child (or in this case children) is at "risk of serious injury or death."
In the case of the Anderson kids, we're talking about a man believed to have murdered a woman and a child. If DiMaggio set the fire that killed Christina and that poor kid, that means he has no qualms about killing, no qualms about killing kids in particular.
This is no sad dad who lost custody sneaking his kids out for ice cream.
This is an alleged sadistic killer on the run with two kids who could just as easily kill them as he could keep running with them.
The only way to stop him is to spread his picture far and wide and spread the photos of the children as well. Anyone who spots these kids and/or DiMaggio should call the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's homicide unit at 858-974-2321 and after hours at 858-565-5200, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 888- 580-8477.
Will you be passing this Amber Alert along?
Images via police