Hartley, after pleading with authorities to issue alerts for her daughter, was ignored despite alerting them about her daughter’s mental illness and the potential danger she faced.
Despite these concerns , the SFPD declined to launch a formal search , categorizing Hartley’s daughter as a runaway. The police stated that the situation did not meet the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert , even though Hartley’s daughter had special needs.
Hartley also requested an Ebony Alert, designed to find missing Black women and girls aged 12-25 who are in physical or mental danger.
Latricia Hartley was arrested after tracking down her missing daughter to an East Bay mobile home . | Source :Morgan Ellis/The Standard
However, this request was ignored due to jurisdiction concerns, and the police did not contact neighboring jurisdictions either.
On April 6, she received an anonymous tip suggesting her daughter might be at the boy’s home in Castro Valley. She informed the police, who searched the house but found nothing.
Convinced that her daughter was there, Hartley conducted her own search. Upon arriving at the boy’s house, the boy called 911 , claiming that Hartley and her group were trying to break in. The police arrested Hartley on suspicion of child abuse and felony burglary .
Later that day, Hartley’s daughter was found hiding under a bed in the house and was safely returned home. Hartley now faces reduced charges of misdemeanor trespassing.
“I know my daughter, and I told them I knew she was at risk . That should have been enough,” she said. “Instead, it’s like , my daughter’s life was in danger, and y’all didn’t care .”
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of missing persons cases, particularly those involving Black women and girls, and the effectiveness of law enforcement protocols in handling such situations.
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