Amber Alert Issued For 8-Month-Old Baby After Dad Picks Her Up From Daycare

An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 8-month-old girl in South Florida on Wednesday morning (February 21). The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said Amelia Martinez, of Davie, was last seen Tuesday (February 20) in the 4900 block of Southwest 148th Avenue in Davie.

In their notice, authorities identified 34-year-old Arys Martinez, possibly the baby's mother, as a suspect in the case. Officials believe Martinez has Amelia and is traveling to the Orlando area in a white Toyota Camry with Florida tag number AZ89FY.

Around the same time the Amber Alert was issued, Davie police shared more information about the baby's disappearance. According to officers, Amelia was picked up around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday at the Little Hands in Learning daycare by her father, Jacob Howard. Investigators said he passed the infant off to an unknown person, possibly Martinez.

"Martinez and Howard have both had their parental rights terminated and Amelia is ChildNet’s custody," police said in their statement.

FDLE said Amelia is white with brown hair and brown eyes. She's one foot tall and weighs 35 lbs.

Anyone with information about Martinez or Amelia's whereabouts is urged to call the Davie Police Department at 954-693-8200 or the FDLE at 1-888-356-4774.