NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Virginia police have canceled an AMBER warning for 3-month-old Jiraiya Sage Cherry after the boy was found safe in Chesterfield County.
“Jiraiya is safe and is in our custody,” Newport News police chief Steve Drew said. “Jiraiya was found in Chesterfield around 6.45pm.”
Officials said one person was arrested.
“I do not want to go into the matter, because now the pieces are to put the puzzle together of what really happened …”, Drew said. “What’s important is that Jiraiya is safe.”
The technology credited by Drew, as well as tips from the public to find the baby.
“We got in a lot of information … Some of the phone calls led to some clues we had – and those things were essential,” Drew said. “Thank you so much to each and every one of you who called. It makes a difference.”
Drew also thanked Chesterfield police, state and federal law enforcement for their assistance in the case.
“The information, by the grace of God, played right and that the family is together again,” Drew said.
Police were called to Preakness Drive 13300 Street just before 10:20 a.m. for a report of a missing child
According to officials, Jiraiya was allegedly abducted by what they called an ‘unknown babysitter’, but the circumstances of the child’s disappearance are still being investigated.
“The child is believed to be in extreme danger and was last seen at an address in Preakness Drive,” police said.
Troopers said the boy was abducted by a woman they described as a black female, 5 feet to 5 feet 6 inches tall with brown eyes and long black hair.
Police said the woman, who they said was about 24 years old and spoke with a southern accent, was last seen wearing a black face mask and black jacket.
The police chief said that ‘key points and interviews’ were the reason it took more than six hours before the AMBER Alert was issued.
“That’s why there was a delay,” Drew explained. “The delay was that we had to conduct an investigation that we had to complete.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Newport News Police at 757-247-2500.
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