CHEYENNE JOHNSON - 2 yo (8/14) - / Charged: Jesse William Thomas - Austin, TX

Amber Alert Issued For Missing Child Last Seen In South Austin


Updated: Friday, August 8 2014, 10:49 PM CDT


9:15 p.m. UPDATE: Police say Jesse Thomas is Cheyenne Johnson's biological father, but he was told today that he no longer has parental rights.

He is currently out on bond for the aggravated assault against a peace officer with a deadly weapon. The biological mother is currently incarcerated. And the grandmother had full custody of the child, police say.

Investigators say Thomas went to his mother's home, where Cheyenne was located. She refused to let him in but he went to the back of the house and kicked the door in, and got the child before fleeing the scene.

He was spotted at 5:15 p.m. at a U-Haul Storage facility, located at 1030 E. 46th St. Officers attempted to make contact, but as he saw them approaching he came at the officers with his vehicle and left the scene at a high right of speed, police say.

A short pursuit ensued, but was terminated due to heavy traffic and his erratic driving pattern -- speeds of over 100 mph with the child in the vehicle.

Thomas has a violent history with other felony charges pending right now, police say.

If you see him do not make any contact with him. Call 911 or the homicide tip line at 512-477-3588.

Police say they believe the child is in danger.

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EARLIER:
Police have issued an Amber Alert for a missing child last seen Friday afternoon in South Austin with her father -- but his parental rights have been relinquished and he's considered dangerous.

Investigators say two-year-old Cheyenne Johnson was last seen at 1:54 p.m. in the 1800 block of Anita Drive, just west of South Lamar Boulevard and south of Barton Springs Road.

Cheyenne is described as:

- White female
- 2 1/2 feet tall
- 25 lbs.
- Brown hair
- Brown eyes

The child was last seen wearing a navy blue shirt with flowers on it and navy blue shorts.

She was last seen with 33-year-old Jesse Thomas. He is described as:

- White male
- 6'01" in height
- Approx. 220 lbs.

Thomas was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jean shorts. He was driving a black 2005 Mercury Marquis four-door with Texas license plate DN3F648. The vehicle has 22 inch silver rims and damage to the rear bumper.

They left the scene northbound on Anita Drive.

Thomas is considered dangerous and should not be approached by the public, Police say.

Anyone who may have information concerning Johnson's or Thomas' whereabouts are asked to call 9-1-1.

(Photos from the Austin Police Department.)


http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/amber-alert-issued-missing-child-last-seen-south-austin-19994.shtml

Missing 2-year-old girl safe, standoff over
Suspect now in police custody

Published On: Aug 08 2014 09:56:01 PM CDT   Updated  53 m

HOUSTON -

A missing 2-year-old girl, who was the subject of an Amber Alert Friday night, has been released from a hospital where she was taken following a standoff involving her father and law enforcement officers.

The suspect, Jesse William Thomas, 33, is in custody after the standoff Saturday morning in northwest Harris County. The more than two-hour standoff came to an end just moments after hostage negotiators convinced Thomas to surrender his daughter.

Law enforcement officials initially issued an Amber Alert Friday night, believing Cheyenne Infinity Johnson, 2, was in grave or immediate danger, authorities said.

• 
  Jesse Thomas, Cheyenne Johnson.
   
  

Austin Police said Thomas' mother had been awarded custody of the girl and Thomas kidnapped the child after he broke into his mother's home Friday afternoon.

The standoff began around 7 a.m. at Highway 249 and Spring Cypress Road.

According to Trooper Stephen Woodard with the Texas Department of Public Safety, a trooper spotted Thomas at F.M. 1960 and Kuykendahl Road on Saturday morning and a chase ensued.

The chase ended in the parking lot of the Tomball Crossings shopping center, where the trooper then tried to make contact with the suspect who remained in his vehicle.

“The gentleman said some sort of phrase," Woodard said. "I'm not sure what he said, but it led the trooper to believe that this would be a dangerous situation.
From there, the trooper asked for the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

A team of officers and negotiators from the Sheriff Department's High Risk Operations Unit responded to the scene and began attempts to make contact with the suspect. Those negotiations ended just before 9:30 a.m.

“We asked him to give up the 2-year-old and he did comply at one time with that and gave us the child,” said Thomas Gilliland, a spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Gilliand said after Thomas gave up the child, two deputies used a taser on Thomas simultaneously while another fired a non-lethal beanbag-type munition in order to take him into custody.

“At that point, when we got the child, we decided to end it there. We knew we could end it peacefully and we went ahead and executed that plan,” said Gilliland.

Thomas now faces charges of burglary, kidnapping, and endangering a child, according to the Austin Police Department.

Woodard said Thomas was tracked to the Houston area using a cellphone signal late Friday night. Woodard said he first led Houston police on a chase, but HPD officers lost sight of him before he could be taken into custody.


http://www.click2houston.com/news/amber-alert-issued-for-2yearold-cheyenne-johnson/27387180