The Navajo Nation is creating its own Amber Alert plan to respond to kidnappings like the one that resulted in a young girl’s death in May. It would be the first of its kind in the country.
Police said Ashlynne Mike and her brother were lured into a van on May 2 and driven to a remote area in northwestern New Mexico. The 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and killed. The boy escaped and ran to the nearest road, where he was picked up by a passing driver.
An Amber Alert did not go out until 2:30 a.m. the following morning — several hours after the boy told police what happened.
Navajo President Russell Begaye called on a task force to implement an Amber Alert system and set a 60-day deadline. The tribe wants a system independent of the three states that make up the sprawling reservation.
For now, the Navajo Nation is partnering with states to ensure alerts get out quickly. The tribe is down almost a third of its police force. Several officer shootings in recent years have many police handing in their badges.
