Florida’s brand-new Spectrum Alert system barely got through its first run before landing someone in handcuffs.
Holly Hill police say a Volusia County mother is now facing a felony charge after officers found a 17-year-old with autism at her home, shortly after the state’s first-ever Spectrum Alert was blasted out to phones across Florida. The alert was canceled once the teen was located and reunited with family, and investigators say the case is very much still open.
First Spectrum Alert Starts In DeLand, Ends In Holly Hill
The alert went out after 17-year-old Dominick Harris was reported missing from the 700 block of South Alabama Avenue in DeLand. According to Spectrum News/MyNews13, Florida officials activated the statewide system on Wednesday, triggering searches and notifications across the region.
ClickOrlando reported that Harris was last seen in a black shirt, pajama pants, and HEYDUDE shoes. Not long after the alert went public, Holly Hill officers located him at his biological mother’s residence.
Holly Hill Police: Mom Charged With Interfering With Custody
Holly Hill Police Chief Byron Williams told reporters that officers found the teen safe at his mother’s home and that the department has filed a criminal charge against her for interference with custody, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
The station reports that Harris was then reunited with family and that detectives are working with the state attorney’s office on the next steps. Police have not publicly released the mother’s name or additional specifics about what led up to the alert or the charge.
How Florida’s New Spectrum Alert Is Supposed To Work
The Spectrum Alert is Florida’s newest tool for quickly mobilizing the public and law enforcement when a child with autism goes missing. Lawmakers created the program, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement rolled it out with a July 1 start date.
Guidance from FDLE says an alert can be activated when officers reasonably believe the missing person is under 18, has autism, and is in danger. Once those criteria are met, the notice is pushed through FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC), as well as through wireless alerts that light up phones and screens across the state.
The program is also paired with specific training for responding officers so that first responders know how to search for and interact with autistic children in high-stress situations, according to FDLE.
Legal Stakes
Interference with custody is a third-degree felony in Florida, which means a conviction can bring prison time and fines under the state’s criminal code. The law applies to anyone who knowingly or recklessly takes or conceals a minor or certain other individuals without lawful authority.
The full definition is laid out in section 787.03 of the Florida Statutes. The statute text is available from the Florida Legislature.
What’s Next
Holly Hill police say the investigation is ongoing and that the interference with custody charge has been forwarded for review. Prosecutors with the state attorney’s office will decide whether to formally pursue the case, according to local reporting from FOX 35 Orlando.
Advocates who backed the creation of the Spectrum Alert system have pointed to this week’s rapid activation and resolution as an early sign of how targeted alerts for children with autism could help in critical moments, even as officials sort out the thornier legal and family questions raised by this first case, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
