SOUTHAMPTON, NY -- Update 10:20 p.m.: Southampton parents will be charged with endangering the welfare of a child and custodial interference on top of family court charges after evading Child Protective Services with their two young children, according to Southampton Town police.
Police said that Child Protective Services came to police headquarters in Hampton Bays Friday to report that since Tuesday the agency and the Suffolk County sheriff's office had been trying without success to serve orders of protection against Amy Whitlock, 30, and Christopher Carcione, 47, on behalf of their 1-year-old and 5-year-old, who have a history of being neglected.
The oldest child was last seen in kindergarten class in Southampton Tuesday afternoon, and the parents had vacated their last known address, at The Bentley Hotel in Southampton, police said. On Thursday, a Family Court judge deemed the children to be in imminent danger and issued an order of emergency removal, as well as warrants for the parents, according to authorities.
Police said Carcione contacted a CPS caseworker at 11 a.m. Friday and when Carcione learned of the warrants and custody order, he said he had no intention of cooperating and claimed to have already fled the state.
Southampton Town police detectives issued an amber alert to all of Long Island at about 6:20 p.m. Friday, and within 40 minutes Suffolk County Police Department Fifth Precinct officers located the children and the parents at Econolodge Motel on Veterans Memorial Highway in Ronkonkoma, authorities said. The children were reportedly unharmed.
The parents are being held overnight at the Fifth Precinct for Saturday morning arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip. Then, according to Southampton Town police, the couple will face charges in Southampton Town Justice Court of endangering the welfare of a child, obstructing governmental administration, and custodial interference.
The children were turned over to CPS custody.
Update: 8:17 p.m.: Southampton parents who absconded with their two children Tuesday to avoid turning their boy and girl over to Child Protective Services were arrested at a hotel in Ronkonkoma Friday, Southampton Town Police Det. Sgt. Lisa Costa said.
Costa said the 1-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy were unharmed, and are now in the custody of CPS. Parents Christopher Carcione and Amy Whitlock were taken into police custody.
According to an Amber Alert activated at 6:30 p.m. Friday, the parents have a history of drug and weapon possession. The alert was called off at 7:12 p.m.
Update: An Amber Alert activated by Southampton Town police Friday at 6:30 p.m. was canceled at 7:12 p.m., according to amber.ny.gov.
Previously:
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — A 1-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy were abducted in Tuckahoe on Tuesday, according to Southampton Town police, and now an Amber Alert has been issued to ask the public's in finding them.
According to the alert, the parents, who have a history of drug and weapons possession, fled with the children in violation of an imminent danger court order.
Scarlet Whitlock and Wiley Whitlock were abducted on Magee Street at about 2:52 p.m. Tuesday, the alert states. Scarlet is described as white, 1 year old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, approximately 2 feet tall and 23 pounds. Wiley is described as 5 years old, with long blond hair and blue eyes, 4 feet tall and 73 pounds. He is developmentally disabled and has a seizure disorder, according to the alert.
Police are seeking two suspects, Christopher Carcione and Amy Whitlock, who are believed to have been driving a green four-door 1996 Mercury Marquis sedan with a tan roof and loud muffler, and the New York license plate GBH5264.
Carcione is described as a white man, 47 years old with brown hair and blue eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds. The alerts states that he uses the alias "David Cox."
The alert describes Whitlock as a white woman, approximately 30 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighting 110 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call 866-NYS-AMBER or 911 to provide information or report a sighting.
I think I am familiar with who the mother is and I find it tragic that her life as come to this. There may be more to this story than just this. I would be curious to learn more.
Sorry for prying so much and don't feel obligated to answer. Just seems that there is a whole lot more about their story than causing an Amber Alert. From what I can tell Social Services may have had good cause for taking the children, but I'm curious how that came to be.
@ Jerry Can, yes CPS had very good cause for taking the children!!
One, that Amber alert be used for true abductions, not family interference. Government agency (CPS) by way of a judges' rule, destroys the family unit but when the parent(s) try to take back what is naturally theirs, Gov't. puts out an Amber Alert, getting everyone to side with gov't without information about why the "abduction" occured. Too many are simply family matters and do not rise to true "Amber Alert" status. Second, what's so wrong with saving the entire family and not just the kids? Keep the family together and work on saving the family unit while working with the parents on getting clean and being good parents. Basically "screw" the "it takes a village" mentality and work on helping the entire family but keep them together. Not every family is picture perfect, but it's a family and that should be paramount,. And stop abusing the amber alert. Society is not family court's posse to be used without letting us know the circumstances behind the alert. Personally, I'll be the judge of whether to get involved if I know the story, but will not be drawn into issues such as this because some family court judge deems it so. Family courts, CPS and DYFS have too much to say and are accountable to no one... that is a very scary factor and far more disturbing than a less than perfect family.
It amazes me that so many people have had such strong opinions with NO actual fact to base them on. I feel no need at this moment to address the slander in the press, nor to correct the misconceptions of obvious idiots. I do, however, feel compelled to comment on the blatant misuse of the AMBER Alert System to enforce a family court bench warrant. ( A warrant for which no summons was properly served, but that's another issue) NYS Amber Alert Guidelines state : The New York State AMBER Alert Plan can be activated when an investigating law enforcement agency has reasonable cause to believe that: 1. An abduction of a child (under the age of 18) has occurred, and 2. The child is believed to be in danger of serious bodily harm or death, either due to the actions of another or due to a proven mental or physical condition.
What occurred in this instance was that a family happened to lawfully choose to be away from their home when CPS came to serve papers. ( Thus thwarting an attempted ‘abduction’ under color of law ) Please note that the supposed abduction occurred on Tuesday ( Wiley was picked by his mother after school ). . . and the alert was issued Friday. The alleged emergency is that the family was not home ! Furthermore, these children were NEVER deemed to be in danger of BODILY HARM or DEATH. No such allegations were made, no such charges filed. Suffolk County Family Court Judge Martha Luft , C.P.S case worker Jenifer Schmidt and Southampton Town Police conspired to use the AMBER Alert System to enforce a Family Court bench warrant, making a mockery of the AMBER Alert System and dishonoring the memory of Amber Hagerman for whom this system was named.
As for the rest of you all I can say is that I sincerely hope each of you have a chance to be helped by the system in the same way this family is being helped. I've been asked to pass this along to further everyone's understanding of this tragic situation : What do you do when your family is truly in danger ? What is right or wrong when you know there is a real possibility THEY are coming for YOU ? Who will protect you from the protectors ? Any sane, responsible man would do anything possible to keep his family together and out of harm's way. ANYTHING. When they come in the night. . . in uniforms . . with guns. . . to rip crying babies from their mother's arms . . . does it really matter what they call you ? if they call you Jude ...or Junkie ... when they tell you they have a solution ?
As for those who feel it's ok to write slanderous comments, especially behind an alias, should be held accountable for their actions as this does nothing to make this family situation better. Perhaps Patch is responsible for allowing such comments in such a tenuous situation. I can't imagine a personal problem being openly dragged through cyber-mud. I hope the family gets past this and finds someone who is willing to help them in dealing with their personal difficulties and recognizes families are important, especially in today's society. Two parents, two kids... therein lies the catalyst for love and a better future. I wish the family well. wn