Police Answer Complaints About Late-Night Amber Alert

Missing Canadian 11-year-old girl was found dead, and cops say alert was necessary
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 15, 2019 2:50 PM CST
Police Answer Complaints About Late-Night Amber Alert
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in the Ontario Legislature last fall, said the Amber Alert was key to finding the suspect.   (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Police in Canada have expressed disappointment with the public after receiving complaints about an Amber Alert issued late Thursday night in the search for a missing 11-year-old girl. Riya Rajkumar later was found dead, CTV reports. Police said the girl’s father, Roopesh Rajkumar, abducted her that afternoon during an outing to celebrate her birthday. The alert was issued after 11:30pm, Global News reports, and callers to the Peel Regional Police complained that it woke them. A police spokesman, Danny Marttini, said the alert led to the arrest, because someone spotted the father’s license plate, which led to his capture. Police then found the girl's body at a home in Brampton, Ontario.

"I can’t even begin to describe how disappointing and upsetting it is to read the comments, emails and calls to our communications bureau complaining about receiving an Amber Alert late at night," Constable Akhil Mooken tweeted, adding, "The system works." Global News found complaints on social media that the alert went out as far east as Ottawa and west as Winnipeg. Some people said the alert arrived repeatedly and even after it was canceled. Doug Ford, Ontario's premier, said Friday that the alert was necessary. "It’s heartbreaking," Ford said. "But I think it was critical, that Amber Alert." Mooken tweeted early Friday that "the child outweighed the momentary inconvenience that some people encountered." Authorities said Friday that Roopesh Rajkumar will face first-degree murder charges, per the Toronto Sun. (More Amber Alert stories.)

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