Fort Worth police say the 11-month-old girl who prompted an Amber Alert has been found hundreds of miles away in New Mexico. They say Harmony Rodriguez was kidnapped by her father Thursday night.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said Rodriguez's father, Lancelot Dawkins, 26, had posted bond in a domestic violence case Thursday and went to the home of Rodriguez and his ex-girlfriend. Noakes said Dawkins assaulted his ex and kidnapped the child.
"What I'll say about that is one of the most frustrating things, I believe, for all law enforcement, all police officers: repeat offenders, those who are allowed to be released to offend again," Noakes said.
Police issued an Amber Alert Thursday night. Just after noon Friday, Noakes said Fort Worth police were contacted by a department in New Mexico. Officers there spotted Dawkins and arrested him.
"I want to thank all the outside agencies who were involved, including those in New Mexico, where Harmony was safely located," Noakes said.
Noakes said the girl would be reunited with her mother, and Dawkins would be returned to Tarrant County to face kidnapping charges.
Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson questioned why Dawkins was allowed to be released on bond. She said he was arrested for assaulting a family member in January and was released on a $3,500 bond then.
Wilson said his bondsman filed paperwork saying he could not reach Dawkins on January 28. She said Dawkins had gone to Nevada, and an arrest warrant was issued on January 31.
Wilson said Dawkins was found and booked into the Tarrant County jail Wednesday, but a judge then set his bond at the same $3,500.
"Judges set bonds,” Wilson wrote in a statement. "That is why judges have assessments and criminal histories available to them."
Wilson said judges have access to risk assessments, lethality assessments, and criminal history when setting bonds. She said Dawkins' criminal history included arrests in five states.
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