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KATC talks with FBI about responding to child abductions

Posted at 6:36 PM, Dec 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-10 19:51:38-05

In Evangeline Parish, a three-year-old Ville Platte girl is home safe with her mother after police say she was abducted by her father.

Brandon Fontenot is accused of taking Paizley Fontenot from a home on Norward Street at around noon on Sunday.

Troopers say they found the two in Amite County, Mississippi. Charges against Brandon Fontenot are pending.

FBI agents say they were able to rescue the child by deploying the Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

“We also notified the FBI offices in different states. And, based on the JCARD model that had already been taught, everybody had started working together before the amber alert came out, and throughout the investigation, they were actually able to get enough information they issued the amber alert. But, due to all the contacts between the FBI, state police, and local agencies, we were able to identify the suspect, get him into custody,” explained FBI New Orleans Division Special Agent Robert King.

KATC went to the New Orleans FBI Division and talked with agents about the creation of the rapid deployment team and how Amber Alerts factor into the system.

“Amber Alerts are one of the tools we can use, but there are certain qualifications to employ the Amber Alert system. We have to know a vehicle and we have to know roughly who that person is driving that vehicle,” explained FBI New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Eric Rommal.

KATC will be airing several reports in the coming weeks focused on precautions parents can take, and how parents can be prepared if the worst happens.