Amber Alert issued for 6-year-old boy abducted from Westminster, California

An Amber Alert was issued early on Monday, 26 October, seeking the public's help in locating a 6-year-old boy reported abducted from Westminster, California, in Orange County. The alert names the boy as Joseph Garcia and identifies a suspect, Frank Ramirez, 47, who was last seen driving a blue 1995 GMC Sonoma.

Descriptions of the boy and the suspect

Joseph is described as Hispanic, 3 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 65 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He is believed to be wearing a beige shirt, blue shorts and black shoes.

Ramirez is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, with black hair and hazel eyes. He is believed to be wearing a gray sleeveless shirt and shorts.

The vehicle is a blue 1995 GMC Sonoma with California license plate 5B30127, according to the alert text. Anyone who sees the boy, the suspect or the vehicle is urged to call 911.

What the alert does and does not say

The alert was issued at 3:06 a.m. local time and is scheduled to remain in effect until 5:06 a.m. local time. The National Weather Service lists its severity as extreme and its urgency as immediate. It covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties in California.

The alert did not specify when or where in Westminster the abduction occurred, the circumstances surrounding it, or any relationship between Joseph and Ramirez. Those details have not been publicly provided in the alert itself.

Other alerts in the same period

Separately, a Silver Alert was reported for a missing teenager from Lebanon, according to Fox 59. That alert is a distinct case and is not connected to the Westminster incident based on the available reporting.

What we know so far: a child abduction emergency alert has been issued for Joseph Garcia, and the public has been asked to report any sighting of the boy, the suspect or the blue GMC pickup to 911. Further updates from law enforcement are expected as the search continues.

Background: Amber Alerts are issued in the United States to help the public find abducted children when officials believe the child is in danger.