Amber Alert Issued for 2-Month-Old Baby From Lithopolis, Ohio

An Amber Alert has been activated for a 2-month-old in Lithopolis, Ohio.

Russell Burris, 27, took his infant, Caius Burris, during a domestic dispute on October 15 at 3:25 p.m. in Fairfield County. The Fairfield Sheriff's Office reported that the two were seen near 4360 Cedarhill Road.

Burris is said to have fled in a silver 2009 Honda Accord with the Ohio license plate KJC3489. According to the alert, the rear of the vehicle is damaged, and it has tinted windows.

Russell Burris is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes. The Fairfield Sheriff's Office noted that Burris has a Playboy bunny tattoo on his right hand. He was last seen wearing a white hoodie with blue writing.

Caius is described as having blonde hair and blue eyes. He weighs 10 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray onesie.

According to the Fairfield Sheriff's Office, Bernard Turner and Rhonda Sprague may be passengers in the car.

Anyone with additional information or if they see the child, the suspect or the vehicle is asked to call 911 or 1-877-AMBER-OH (1-877-262-3764) to be transferred directly to the investigating law enforcement agency.

What Is an Amber Alert?

Amber Alert is a nationwide notification system used to alert the public of missing children under the age of 18.

The alerts are shared across radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices.

As of last year, 1,200 children were found because of the Amber Alert system and 180 children were rescued as a result of the emergency alerts.

In order for an alert to be issued, an abduction must have occurred, the child must be at risk of serious injury or death, and there has to be descriptive information about the child, the suspect or the suspect's vehicle.

"Every child featured in an AMBER Alert has been reported missing to law enforcement. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child," Alan S. Nanavaty, Executive Director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in an email to Newsweek.

Nanavaty said on average, there are generally fewer than 200 Amber Alerts issued each year. The alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices. The Amber Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also leverages ways to include posters and social media distribution to amplify Amber Alerts to the public, Nanavaty said.

Newsweek created a map using 2022 data showing which states saw the most Amber alerts in 2022. According to the data, there were 31 Amber Alerts in Texas in 2022.

Active Amber Alerts

There is one other active Amber Alert for a boy in Tennessee.

Sebastian Rogers, 15, has been missing since February 26. He was last seen at his mother and stepfather's home in Sumner County, Tennessee.

He is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and he wears glasses. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.

Anyone with information about Rogers is being asked to call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

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