Amber Alert ends — 3-year-old found safe, suspect in custody
- On May 22, 2026, Los Angeles police said a 3-year-old boy at the center of an Amber Alert was found safe and the alert deactivated. - The California Highway Patrol had issued the alert for Messiah Evans, 3, after LAPD said he was allegedly taken in a white 2006 Saturn Vue. - LAPD said detectives were investigating the case further; updates were posted through the department newsroom and local television reports.
Los Angeles police said Friday that a 3-year-old boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert in Southern California had been found safe, ending an hourslong search that began in South Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department said the child, identified as Messiah Evans, had been reported missing after authorities alleged he was taken by a suspect in a white 2006 Saturn Vue. The California Highway Patrol had activated the Amber Alert on behalf of LAPD, according to the department’s earlier public notice. NBC Los Angeles and ABC7 reported the alert was later deactivated after the boy was located safe. ### Who was the child police were looking for? LAPD identified the boy as Messiah Evans, a 3-year-old Black child with black hair and brown eyes, in a department notice published during the search. The notice said he stood about 3 feet tall, weighed about 50 pounds and was last seen wearing a burgundy onesie. The California Highway Patrol’s alerts program says it serves as the state coordinator for missing-person alerts in California and activates alerts on behalf of local investigating agencies after reviewing the case details. (lapdonline.org) In this case, LAPD said CHP issued the Amber Alert for the child on the department’s behalf. ### What did police say about the suspect and vehicle? LAPD named the suspect in its public notice as Joshua Pendleton, 38, and described him as a Black man with black hair and hazel eyes. (lapdonline.org) The department said authorities believed he might be traveling in a white 2006 Saturn Vue with California license plate 5SHE918. NBC Los Angeles reported the Amber Alert concerned a 3-year-old missing in South Los Angeles, while ABC7 reported the child had allegedly been taken by his mother in the Los Angeles area. (chp.ca.gov) LAPD’s own public notice identified Pendleton as the suspect and did not, in the material reviewed, describe him as the child’s mother. (lapdonline.org) ### How did the search end? ABC7 reported Friday that the Amber Alert had been deactivated after the 3-year-old boy was located. NBC Los Angeles similarly reported that the child had been found and that the alert was canceled. Neither outlet, in the material available for review, gave extensive details on where the boy was found or the exact circumstances of the recovery. (nbclosangeles.com) The available reports also did not provide a full public accounting of arrest details at the time they were published. LAPD’s earlier notice asked anyone with information to contact law enforcement, and later television reports said the emergency alert had ended because the child was safe. ### Why was the Amber Alert issued across the region? (abc7.com) The California Highway Patrol says regional alert activations are designed to reach communities tied directly to an incident rather than automatically sending a statewide alert. The agency says that approach is meant to preserve the effectiveness of emergency notifications while giving the public actionable information in active cases. (lapdonline.org) LAPD said CHP activated the alert after detectives sought public help locating the boy and the suspect vehicle. The alert circulated as authorities searched across the Los Angeles area and surrounding counties. ### What information is still expected from police? LAPD’s newsroom remained the department’s public clearinghouse for updates on Friday, and additional details on custody status, charges or court proceedings had not yet been fully laid out in the sources reviewed. (chp.ca.gov) NBC Los Angeles said the alert was sent as it was in the process of being deactivated, underscoring how quickly the public-facing information changed. (lapdonline.org) California Highway Patrol says active and recent alert information is posted through its statewide alerts system, while LAPD publishes case updates through its newsroom. Any next formal step in the case — including booking information or charges — would typically come from police or prosecutors after the recovery. (chp.ca.gov) (lapdonline.org)
