Amber Alert for West Valley kids still active

WEST VALLEY CITY — Police have handed over evidence to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to consider possible charges against the father of three young children who are still the subject of an ongoing Amber Alert.

Police believe Israel Hernandez, 30, took his three children, even though he has no custodial rights to them. Xiomara Hernandez-Torres, 3, Pablo Hernandez, 4, and Alicia Hernandez, 6, were last seen Aug. 31 when their father came to pick them up for a weekly visit.

Hernandez lost custody of his children in 2006 because of a continued pattern of physical abuse. They were given to another relative, but he was allowed supervised visits. Over the years, however, police say the relative had become lax about letting Hernandez take the children for a few hours unsupervised.

He is also believed to be on the run with his girlfriend, 32-year-old Marta Torres, according to police.

Prosecutors will consider potential charges of felony custodial interference, said West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan.

Meanwhile, the Amber Alert for the children remained active Thursday, a week and a half after it was issued.

"We want to let people know we're still looking," McLachlan said.

Paul Murphy, with the Attorney General's Office and Utah's Amber Alert coordinator, said during a recent training session on the alert system that there was discussion about the Destiny Norton case and whether the alert was canceled too quickly.

Norton, 5, was kidnapped in front of her Salt Lake house and killed in 2006. An Amber Alert was initially issued, then canceled in favor of an endangered person advisory, but then reissued after more evidence was uncovered.

"When the Amber Alert is called off, people assume we're no longer looking for the child," Murphy said. "We're still very concerned and very worried about those children."

By continuing to have the Amber Alert in effect, Hernandez and the description of his vehicle will be on a national database that officers all over the nation have access to, he said.

"If they pull over one of his vehicles, they'll immediately know he's the subject of an Amber Alert," Murphy said.