SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, April 20, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — An Amber Alert issued Wednesday by South Salt Lake Police has been canceled.
According to statement by South Salt Lake PD, “All four children have been located unharmed and both suspects are in custody.”
The Amber Alert was first issued at 1:50 p.m., triggered by a mother’s threat to harm her children after receiving notice of a court order to surrender them to the Division of Child and Family Services.
Police said the mother, 22-year-old Yaneli Murillo threatened to harm or kill the children in a text sent to a social worker. She also also picked up two of her mother’s children, ages 9 and 11, from a local elementary school and then vanished along with her mom, 38-year-old Maria Alvarez, police said.
“DCFS was awarded custody in court hearing this morning 04/20/2022,” says a South Salt Lake Police statement on the case. “DCFS has a court order and warrant to remove children. Mother and grandmother fled with children and refused to turn over children to DCFS. Mother of children sent text to DCFS caseworker that children were killed or going to be killed.”
The children checked out of the school were included in the Amber Alert because they were considered endangered, even though they were not part of the court order involving the two younger children, police said.
“Thanks to the community that shared our information and provided information,” SSLPD said on social media once the Amber Alert was lifted. “We appreciate the media for assisting in getting the critical information to the public.”
Gephardt Daily has yet to confirm reports the suspects and children were found in a home in West Valley City. Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.
