Florida missing child alert: 'Armed and dangerous' mother abducts 3-year-old

A search is underway for 3-year-old Shea Eminhizer, who was last seen in South Miami on June 24.

Authorities believe Eminhizer may be with Christine Betancourt, who is believed to be the child's mother and who, according to a police dispatcher, “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

The context

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing persons alert Saturday, saying Eminhizer was reported missing from the 6500 block of Southwest 78th Terrace in South Miami. According to FDLE, she may be traveling with Betancourt in a gray 2021 Volvo XC90 with Florida license plate IEX 419. The vehicle has very dark tinted windows, and the alert states that anyone who sees them should not approach but contact authorities immediately.

Florida's Missing Children Alert System was created in 2003, according to the FDLE, to provide police with a way “to quickly disseminate information when a child is missing and is suspected to be in life-threatening circumstances, but there is no indication that the child has been abducted.”

The alert may progress to an AMBER Alert if authorities believe the child has been abducted.

There are currently six active missing child alerts in the state, including Shea Eminhizer, and seven active AMBER Alerts, dating back to 2000. The most recent alert was in 2020, for a seven-day-old baby who went missing in Miami.

Eminhizer's father and neighbors told WSVN 7News that Betancourt is the girl's mother. Police told NBC6 that the father has legal custody.

According to public court records, Betancourt filed for divorce from Jeremy Eminhizer in 2021. The divorce has not yet been finalized.

What we know

The FDLE missing child alert described Eminhizer as a white Hispanic female, 5’4” tall, with blonde hair and brown eyes. Betancourt was described as a 41-year-old white Hispanic female, 5’5” tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

News week contacted a representative of the South Miami Police Department via email for comment.

And after

Authorities are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Shea Eminhizer or Christine Betancourt to contact the FDLE Missing and Endangered Persons Hotline at 1-888-FL MISSING (1-888-356-4774), the South Miami Police Department at 305-663-6301, or call 911.

One user commented on a FDLE Facebook post about Eminhizer's disappearance: “I hope the child is found safe. The 'Do Not Approach' approach worries me.”

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