An Amber Alert for 3-year-old Elias Linares Quintanilla was deactivated after he was located, ending a brief search that began Thursday morning in South Los Angeles. The California Highway Patrol issued the alert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department and later canceled it shortly after saying the child had been found.
Authorities said Elias was last seen Thursday morning with Sonia Quintanilla in the Los Angeles area, and they identified her as the suspect in his disappearance. The child had reportedly been seen at approximately 8 a.m. Thursday near Slauson and Van Ness avenues, according to Patch, which said Elias and Sonia Quintanilla were believed to be traveling in a gray 2008 Pontiac G6. The Highway Patrol later said where or when Elias was found was not disclosed.
The alert’s cancellation ended the urgent public search, but it left one important detail unanswered: what led to the boy’s disappearance and what authorities say happened in the time before he was recovered. Patch reported that the relationship between Elias and Sonia Quintanilla, if any, was unclear. For now, the known facts are limited to a fast-moving alert, a search in South Los Angeles, and a child who was found safe enough for the Amber Alert to be shut down.
