Urgent Search: Armed Mother Takes 3-Year-Old Daughter in Miami

A search is underway for 3-year-old Shea Eminhizer, who was last seen in South Miami on June 24. Authorities believe Eminhizer might be with Christine Betancourt, who is reportedly the child’s mother. A police dispatcher has stated that Betancourt “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

The Context

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) issued a missing child alert on Saturday, stating that Eminhizer was reported missing from the 6500 block of Southwest 78th Terrace in South Miami.

According to the FDLE, Shea might be traveling with Betancourt in a gray 2021 Volvo XC90 with Florida license plate IEX 419. The vehicle has very dark window tints, and the alert specifies that anyone who sees them should not approach but immediately contact authorities.

Shea Eminhizer and Christine Betancourt

Photos released by the FDLE show 3-year-old Shea Eminhizer and 41-year-old Christina Betancourt, who is believed to be with the child.

Florida’s missing child alert system, established in 2003, aims to quickly disseminate information when a child is missing and believed to be in life-threatening danger, without an indication that the child has been abducted.

The Current Situation

The alert can evolve into an AMBER alert if authorities believe the child has been abducted. There are currently six active missing child alerts in Florida, including Shea Eminhizer, and seven active AMBER alerts, dating back as far as 2000.

According to the source, the most recent alert is from 2020, for a seven-day-old baby who went missing from Miami.

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Family and Legal Background

Eminhizer’s father and neighbors told WSVN 7News that Betancourt is the girl’s mother. Police informed NBC6 that the father has legal custody. According to public court records, Betancourt filed for divorce against Jeremy Eminhizer in 2021, but the divorce has not yet been granted.

Detailed Descriptions

The FDLE missing child alert described Shea Eminhizer as a three-foot-tall white-Hispanic girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. Christine Betancourt is described as a 41-year-old white-Hispanic female, standing 5 feet 5 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

Official Statements and Next Steps

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of the South Miami police department for comment.

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

One user commented on an FDLE Facebook post about the missing child: “Hope the child will be found safe. The Do Not Approach has me worried.”