AMBER Alert for 2-year-old boy last seen with mother in west Houston

HOUSTON. An AMBER Alert was issued late Wednesday night for a 2-year-old boy who is believed to be with his mother.

Houston police are looking for 2-year-old Joshua Saldana-Hernandez, who authorities believe is with his mother, 18-year-old Jennifer Hernandez.

Joshua was last seen around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday as he and his mother walked away from the 3600 block of Woodchase Drive near the intersection of Richmond Avenue and South Gessner Road, according to authorities.

Joshua was wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans. Jennifer Hernandez was last seen wearing a black top and black pants.

HPD investigators said they believe the boy is in danger.

Joshua has black hair and brown eyes. He is about 25 pounds.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact law enforcement immediately.

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For law enforcement to be able to issue an AMBER Alert for a missing child aged 17 or younger, certain criteria must be met.

First, law enforcement must have a reasonable belief that the kidnapping has taken place. In addition, law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.

Another criterion is that there is sufficient descriptive information about the victim and the abduction that can help in the recovery of the child, such as a description of the vehicle or license plate.

As part of the AMBER Alert, the child’s name and other important elements of the date, including the child abduction flag, are entered into the National Crime Information Center.

The AMBER Alert system, used in all 50 states, as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, was created in 1996. Amber Hagerman, who was abducted while biking in Arlington, Texas, and then murdered.

You can view all active Texas AMBER Alerts from the Texas Department of Public Safety here.