Mother and son found in Calgary following Amber Alert The Edmonton boy at the centre of an Amber Alert that spanned two Alberta cities has been found safe. Edmonton police tweeted early Saturday that the eight-year-old was found unharmed in Calgary at 5:30 a.m. Police said earlier they believed the boy was abducted from school by his mother on Friday afternoon, and that he was believed to be in danger. RELATED: Ontario police field complaints over Amber Alert for missing girl, 11, found dead After leaving Edmonton, the pair were believed to be travelling in the Calgary area, where they were eventually found. The Amber Alert for Noah Ducharme has been cancelled. Noah and his mother were located in Calgary at 5:30 am. Noah is unharmed. Thankyou to everyone who shared the information about the Amber Alert. #yeg #yyc — Edmonton Police (@edmontonpolice) March 16, 2019 Police thanked the public for sharing information on the alert. The Canadian Press Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.<doc-sep>“We considered the Amber Alert early, but we just didn’t believe we were there yet,” Emerson said of the seven-hour time gap between the abduction and the alert being issued. “We found additional information that we were satisfied the child was in danger and that’s when the decision was made.” After gathering additional information to confirm the boy was taken by his mother, Emerson said police were satisfied that the criteria had been met to issue the province-wide alert. Police learned early in the investigation the boy was the subject of a parenting order and his mother wasn’t supposed to have custody of the child, southeast division Staff Sgt. Ashley Emerson said Saturday afternoon during a media availability. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. The boy was taken from Waverley Elementary School around 2:50 p.m. Friday, police said in the alert sent out shortly after 9:40 p.m. Friday. A woman is charged with abduction of her son after city police cancelled an Amber Alert issued Friday night for an eight-year-old Edmonton boy found safe near Calgary Saturday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content In an update issued at 11:40 p.m. Friday, police said the woman and child were believed to be in the Calgary area, and switched vehicles to a 2002 Buick Century. The second vehicle belonged to a family member, Emerson said, and police received the information quickly and were able to send out an update with the new licence plate. The Edmonton police child protection section took over the investigation around 4:30 a.m. and warrants were issued for the mother’s arrest, Emerson said. At 5:30 a.m. Saturday, police cancelled the Amber Alert, saying the child and his mother were found near Calgary. The boy was unharmed, said police. An off-duty Calgary Police Service member spotted the boy and his mother while driving, having recognized the licence plate from the updated alert, Emerson said. The officer contacted police and Okotoks RCMP responded and conducted a vehicle stop. Photo by Edmonton Police Service / Supplied Brianne Hjalte from Edmonton, 31, was arrested and remains in custody, charged with abduction. The boy was quickly returned to his father, police said. Police in the Amber Alert said they believed the boy was in “imminent danger,” which Emerson explained was due to concern for both the well-being of the child and Hjalte. The boy wasn’t picked up from the school “in a normal fashion,” said Emerson, leaving without a jacket and his outdoor shoes. He also noted there was “a marked change in the communication from the suspect.” Emerson said several tips were received from the public — including the final piece of information from the off-duty police officer. “We were able to safely recover this eight-year-old because of this system so we’re very happy to have it and I believe the majority of citizens are more than happy to assist us in those investigations.” duscook@postmedia.com<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally said the boy was abducted on Monday, which was incorrect. It has since been corrected to say he was abducted on Friday. We regret the error. The Edmonton Police Service cancelled an Amber Alert originally issued Friday night for an eight-year-old boy who they say was abducted by his mother from Waverley Elementary School on Friday afternoon. An off-duty Calgary Police Service member spotted the boy and his mother Brianne Hjalte, 31, while driving on Saturday morning. She was arrested by RCMP in Okotoks and is facing a charge of abduction. She remains in custody, and the child will be returned to his father. The alert was first issued Friday evening, and was updated early Saturday morning to state that the boy may have been in “imminent danger.” The alert was cancelled at approximately 6:30 a.m. MT (8:30 a.m. EST) on Saturday morning after the boy was found safe. Story continues below advertisement Police initially said the boy was abducted in the area of 68 Street and 89 Avenue at 2:50 p.m. In a news release, police said they believe the two left the area on foot, heading west on 89 Avenue. “It is believed that [the boy] is in imminent danger,” police said. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It is believed that [the boy] is in imminent danger," police said. Originally, police said they believed the two were travelling in a silver 2008 Jeep Patriot. However, shortly after 11:30 p.m., police said they believed the two were travelling in a 2002 Buick Century.