Missing Bradenton girl found safe

BRADENTON -- An Amber Alert for a 12-year-old Bradenton girl missing since Saturday has been canceled.The girl came home Sunday, according to a statement by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Detectives will interview her to see where she has been, the statement said.

Ballplayer 'shocked' and 'hurt' by wife's kidnapping arrest

BRADENTON -- The baseball player husband of a woman accused of posing as an immigration official and kidnapping a baby Monday from a Plant City mother says he is "shocked." Jose Tabata stayed out of sight this morning at Pirate City in Bradenton and did not participate in team drills. He plays for the Altoona Curve, a AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He issued a statement late Tuesday, after the St. Petersburg Times broke the news on tampabay.com that he was married to Amalia Tabata Pereira, accused of the kidnapping.

"I was shocked to be told today that my wife has been arrested for kidnapping," he said. "I am hurt, frustrated and confused by her actions. I have and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials in any way that I can. Until I have all of the facts, I cannot comment any further."

The 43-year-old woman is being transferred to the Hillsborough County jail after a judge set her bail at $775,000.

Baby abduction suspect is wife of Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer

5:04 p.m. The suspect in the case, Amalia Tabata Pereira, 43, married 20-year-old Jose Tabata, a player in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, in January 2008, according to Hillsborough County records. The Pittsburgh Pirates train in Bradenton. At her parents' West Tampa home, her mother was too distraught to talk to reporters, said her brother Edwin Rivera. A church pastor, the mother learned of the news today from one of the deacons. Tabata Pereira is the only daughter in a Puerto Rican family with five brothers, who moved to Tampa from Chicago two decades ago. She has been estranged from them for a year, since the death of her father. "She hasn't been part of our family for a while now," Rivera said. "She's sort of sequestered herself." Rivera said his sister has four children of her own, all teenagers and adults. He said he isn't aware of his sister having any psychological problems. "I don't know what to say," he said.

3:54 p.m. Manatee County sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow gave a different account of how authorities found the baby. He said that shortly before 2 p.m. an anonymous caller responded to an Amber Alert about missing Sandra. The caller reported seeing someone standing on a corner in Bradenton with a child who looked just like the missing one. Deputies went to the scene and found the suspect with the baby. EMS came to check out the child. Both were taken to child protection offices on W Manatee Avenue. Pereira is being detained. According to Bristow, the baby is still there. According to Plant City police Capt. Wilson, the baby's mother is still at the police station in Plant City.

3:30 p.m. Plant City police expect to charge Amalia Tabata Pereira with kidnapping, the agency says in a news release.

3 p.m. "We have found Sandra," said Plant City police Capt. Darrell Wilson. He said Pereira surrendered the child about 2 p.m. to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and is being questioned by deputies. The mother told an investigator she was leaving the Health Department when a woman named Janet claimed to be an immigration employee and said if Rosa Francisco didn't want her family to be deported, she should give the baby to the woman. Police think that woman was Pereira.

2:57 p.m. Plant City police have located the infant who was abducted from her mother. She is safe, and the mother will soon be reunited with her child, police said.

2:26 p.m: Police have identified Amalia Tabata Pereira, 43, left, as a "person of interest'' in the abduction of 2-month-old Sandra Cruz-Francisco. They say she also goes by the names Alalia Rivera, Amalia Segui and Almalia Maldonado.

PLANT CITY -- Police say a 2-month-old girl dressed all in pink was abducted from the Plant City Health Center on Monday night. Her mother reported her missing six hours after she was taken, police said.

Amber Alert issued for 5-year-old girl

SATSUMA -- Bloodhounds, a helicopter and deputies from several precincts are searching for a 5-year-old girl who disappeared from her home overnight, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Suspect, mother held in AMBER alert case

A statewide AMBER Alert issued earlier today for Jamir Abduli Worgs, a 1-year-old black male, has been canceled after authorities found the child in Longwood, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said.

Jamir was found in his car seat -- cold and wet -- outside a residence in the early morning cold, authorities said. Temperatures in Longwood dipped into the 40s overnight, authorities said. The child was taken to South Seminole Hospital for observation.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office says shortly after 4 a.m. today, the mother lent her vehicle to a male friend in east Altamonte Springs and left her child in the car. The friend took the vehicle about two blocks away and got out of the car with the child still inside, authorities said. Another person who was only referred to as "Dave" got into the car and drove away, authorities said.

A suspect, David W. Carver, 36, left the child before trading the car he had allegedly stolen for drugs, authorities said. The child's mother is also in custody and being questioned. Charges are pending, authorities said.

According to the sheriff's office, the area where the incident occurred is known for drug activity. It is believed that drugs played a role in the car theft.

AMBER alert canceled: Boy found in Tampa

The statewide AMBER Alert was canceled for a 12-year-old boy who had last been seen in Miami. He was found unharmed in Tampa just before 9 p.m. Friday.

Investigators had reported Friday that Torrey Hobbs left Miami with two men, one of them Rex Honors, 31. Miami-Dade police got a tip he might be in the Tampa Bay area, and with the help of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Tampa Police Department, they found him at 8528 Lazy River Drive in Tampa.

Honors was charged with kidnapping and is being held in the Orient Road Jail with no bail. Two additional suspects were detained for questioning.

Casey Cora and Jessica Vander Velde, Times staff writers

AMBER Alert for 3 children canceled

Update: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement canceled the AMBER alert issued overnight after the children were recovered safely.

An AMBER alert issued this morning has authorities across the state this watching for three children last seen in Hallandale Beach.

They are:

Sarai Sebea - 5 months old, about 2 feet long and 12 pounds (left). She has black hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white dress.

Sheba Maps - 11 years old, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 126 pounds (center). She has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a green T-shirt with the words "Morningside Elementary" imprinted on it.

Dean Sebea - 2 years old, about 3 feet tall and 60 pounds (right). He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a diaper with blue and white striped shirt.

The children were last seen in the 100 block of South Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach. Authorities say they may be in the company of Dean Sebea, 28 (left). Sebea was described as 6 foot 2 and about 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Authorities said the foursome may be traveling in a 2000 blue Ford Focus with Florida tag number X698UY.

Anyone with information is asked to call Hallandale Beach Police Department at 954-457-1400 or 911.