Saratoga Springs police have obtained felony arrest warrants for a Utah father after a statewide AMBER Alert was issued Sunday for his two missing young sons, who are believed to be in immediate danger near the Mexican border.
Dane Stephens Richman, 46, is charged with two counts of third-degree felony custodial interference.
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He failed to return 22-month-old Will and 10-month-old Wesley during a scheduled custody exchange on Saturday.
Investigators tracked Richman's cell phone to San Diego near the border last Tuesday and believe he has crossed into Mexico.
Officials said Richman was under severe financial stress, abandoned his home, and sold his belongings before disappearing.
The boys' aunt, Kate Walters, expressed the family's deep distress and urged the public to share information widely.
"No network is too small, there's no location that's wrong to share, share it with everybody," Walters said.
The family last saw the boys on May 16 when Richman picked them up from Washington state.
During a welfare check on Friday after Richman missed a deposition, police found an empty home and a moving truck outside.
Because Richman still had legal custody on Friday, family members could not take immediate legal action until he missed the official Saturday drop-off deadline.
"So again, unfortunately, because technically he still had custody day, we legally could not do a single thing about it," Walters said.
The missed exchange prompted a second police welfare check, which triggered the AMBER Alert across Utah.
Walters described Will's movement as a waddle walk and noted that Wesley is crawling, emphasizing the urgency.
"Please bring the babies home, give them the life they were meant to have," Walters said. The family remains focused on the safe return of both children.
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"There's no other option," she added.
Authorities said the suspect and children may be traveling in a black Toyota Camry with Utah license plate A561HL, though the temporary tag might be obscured.
AMBER Alert Criteria Explained
The high-profile case prompted community questions about the timeline and legal requirements needed to initiate a statewide emergency broadcast.
Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification official Mandy Biesinger clarified that strict criteria must be met.
"There are four required criteria, and all four must be met," Biesinger said.
These include confirmation of an abduction of a child aged 17 or younger facing imminent danger of death or serious injury, along with enough descriptive data to assist public search efforts.
"If even one of those elements is missing, it doesn’t qualify for an AMBER Alert," Biesinger said.
Local law enforcement agencies initiate the request, while state agencies handle distribution via cellphones, highway signs, and media outlets.
Biesinger also addressed why gaps sometimes occur between initial missing reports and the broadcast.
"It might be that certain elements to the case or the situation aren’t apparent at the beginning or aren’t provided to law enforcement right away," she said.
Delays can also happen when families attempt to search independently before contacting emergency services.
"We have times where there might be a delay in even taking the report to law enforcement," Biesinger said.
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Neighbor Chris Gage expressed hope: "I hope that everything comes out okay." The investigation continues as the family awaits the safe return of the boys.
