Amber Alert Canceled After Citizen Spots Missing Child

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Amber Alert on Friday was canceled shortly after it was issued due to the watchful eye of a man who spotted the vehicle and called authorities.

“It worked perfect — it worked exactly the way it should,” said Kansas City, Mo., Police Capt. Todd Paulson.

One-year-old Cameron Rodgers was reported missing around 3 p.m. on Friday. Police said the mother, Mazurennae Clark, left her one-year-old son in the car while she quickly went inside to dress another child. When she walked back out, she saw an 18-year-old acquaintance, Kapri Cunningham, get in the car with another person and drive off with her son in the back seat.

“I walked outside, and I just flipped out,” she said. “I just really lost it.”

Shortly after police issued the Amber Alert, Eric Dooley spotted the car.

“I looked up and the car was right in front of me,” he said. That’s when he called police. Dooley said he thinks the driver knew he was following her because she turned around a couple of times. But police were quickly took over the pursuit.

“One of our traffic officers that was in the area got in behind the car,” Capt. Paulson said. “We followed it down to 39th and Cleveland where we were able to get it stopped.”

Dooley said he saw the whole thing unfold and watched police — guns drawn — take two people into custody.

“They pulled the car over,” he said. “They came out with their weapons drawn, two females got out of the car, they handcuffed them.”

Clark admitted she never thought Amber Alerts worked — until now.

“I know it takes a community and a village to raise a child, so thank you very much,” she said after her son was safely back in her arms.

As a precaution, Rodgers, who has a fairly serious illness, was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital.