4/22/09 Harney County
By Brian MacMillan
The hunt was on for 27-year old Myranda Denny, and her boyfriend, 48 year old Mark Arey. At 10:00 Wednesday morning an Amber Alert is issued across Oregon and in neighboring states after authorities say Myranda kidnapped her son, five-year old Masson Weller.
Tuesday evening, the boy had been placed in foster care in Hines with a relative, for what they call unlivable conditions at Denny's home. A hearing was set for Wednesday, but that didn't happened as planned.
"The mother arrived this morning, went to the foster parents location and abducted the child," Harney County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Brian Needham said.
Oregon State Police Troopers out of Bend, Burns and Prineville, quickly covered about 130 miles of highway between Bend and Burns searching for a black Toyota Camry. Deschutes County deputies wait for the vehicle on a road near Millican in case the car heads west.
"There is no way that any one agency can handle this type of situation on their own. It involves numerous agencies locally, across Oregon and in other states," Needham said.
As the search continues on the highways, three important tips come in to police. Two different ODOT employees and another person calls in the vehicle's location. They are headed towards Nevada on Highway 205.
"Individuals from the Harney County Sheriff's Office headed south in that direction and we notified Humbolt County, Nevada and Nevada State Police and they came north," Needham said.
Thanks to the tips, authorities catch up with the couple and find the young boy unharmed. Denny and Arey are arrested on kidnapping charges and are being held in Nevada's Humbolt County Jail.
04/22/09
UPDATE:
11AM Wednesday
The AMBER Alert issued earlier today in Oregon for a child taken Wednesday morning in Hines, Oregon is cancelled following the safe recovery of the child near Denio, Nevada just across the border.
The AMBER Alert issued April 22, 2009 related to 5-year old MASSON WELLER is deactivated. The child and suspects were reportedly stopped by Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and Nevada Highway Patrol after information was received a possible sighting of the vehicle. Suspects are detained and child is safe. Authorities arrested the child's mother, Myranda Denny, and her companion, Mark Arey.
(Suspect: Mark Arey)
This is the 14th Amber Alert issued in Oregon. Sixteen children have been recovered.
Questions for Humboldt County Sheriff's Office can be directed to their Undersheriff at (775) 623-6419.
10AM Wednesday:
At the request of the Harney County Sheriff's Office, an AMBER ALERT has been activated for a child taken from Foster Care in the eastern Oregon city of Hines Wednesday morning.
On April 22, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. an AMBER ALERT was issued in Oregon to help find MASSON WELLER, a white juvenile male, 5 years of age, 3'8" tall, weighing approximately 45 pounds, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes. He was taken at approximately 8:30 a.m. from foster care wearing a white t-shirt and blue pajama bottoms with no shoes.
The suspect is MYRANDA ELANE DENNY, age 27. She is described as a white female, 5'5" tall, weighing 155 pounds, with strawberry blonde hair, and blue eyes. She has missing and cracked teeth, and was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark t-shirt, knee-high boots over her jeans. DENNY has resided in the Springfield, Oregon area.
She is believed to be accompanied by a white male named MARK STEVEN AREY, age 48, from Eugene, 5'7" tall, weighing about 135 pounds. He has long dark / grey hair and a moustache.
Both are suspected heroin and methamphetamine users. State officials believe the child is endangered.
The suspects are believed to be driving a black 1995 Toyota Camry four-door with Oregon license 182 CYE. There is no known direction of travel but due to the circumstances an AMBER ALERT is being activated in Oregon.
