Officials issued AMBER Alerts for two missing teenagers who were last seen in Arkansas on Friday.
Trixie Studer and Sam Smith, both 14, were last seen in Ratcliff, according to the AMBER Alerts.
Officials said they believe Studer is with Smith, who she met online. A silver Kia SUV with black wheels being driven by an unknown Black male driver purchased gas at Handy Way in Caulksville in Logan County on Friday evening. Officials believe the driver was Smith.
Smith was reported missing from Wadesboro, North Carolina on Thursday. Both teens are considered endangered at this time, according to the alert.
Studer is described as having blue hair and purple eyeglasses. She was last seen wearing a short white shirt with a large brown stripe, and black pants. She also had two backpacks, one light blue and the other is unknown color, and a cat with her. The cat is black with brown spots.
Studer is a white female with green eyes. She is around 5 feet tall and weighs around 100 pounds.
Smith is a Black male with black hair and brown eyes. He is around 5-foot-9. A clothing description was not given for him in the alert.
Anyone with information should contact the Logan County Sheriff's Office at 479-963-3271.
What Is An AMBER Alert?
AMBER Alert is a nationwide notification system used to alert the public of missing children under the age of 18.
The alerts are shared across radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices.
As of last year, 1,200 children were found because of the AMBER Alert system and 180 children were rescued as a result of the emergency alerts.
In order for an alert to be issued, an abduction must have occurred, the child must be at risk of serious injury or death, and there has to be descriptive information about the child, the suspect or the suspect's vehicle.
"Every child featured in an AMBER Alert has been reported missing to law enforcement. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child," Alan S. Nanavaty, Executive Director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, told Newsweek.
Nanavaty said on average, there are generally fewer than 200 AMBER Alerts issued each year. The alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices. The AMBER Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also leverages ways to include posters and social media distribution to amplify Amber Alerts to the public, Nanavaty said.
Newsweek created a map using 2022 data showing which states saw the most Amber alerts in 2022. According to the data, there were 31 Amber Alerts in Texas in 2022.
Active AMBER Alerts
There is one other active AMBER Alert for a boy in Tennessee.
Sebastian Rogers, 15, has been missing since February 26. He was last seen at his mother and stepfather's home in Sumner County, Tennessee. He is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and he wears glasses. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.
Anyone with information about Rogers is being asked to call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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