SAN ANTONIO — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that would make it so law enforcement can issue AMBER Alerts without requiring confirmation of an abduction.
The legislation was named after 7-year-old Athena Strand from Wise County, Texas, who was killed in late November 2022.
One day after Athena disappeared, an AMBER Alert was issued since the case failed to meet the qualifications for the alert the day prior.
Tanner Horner, 31, was indicted by a Wise County grand jury for capital murder in February.
Horner, a former delivery driver, told police he accidentally hit Athena with his vehicle then proceeded to take her with him. Authorities said Horner ended up strangling Athena to death, fearing she would tell her father about being hit by the FedEx van.
Once an Athena Alert is authorized, police will utilize the AMBER alert system to notify people within 100 miles of the child’s reported disappearance.
“If a parent can’t find their child, there’s no need to wait,” said Dottie Laster, who’s spent decades advocating for finding missing children. She formerly led the Heidi Search Center, which helped thousands of families searching for a missing child. The center closed in 2018 after nearly 30 years due to a lack of funding.
Laster’s efforts to help families in need has continued through education and training efforts through the organization, Trafficking Victim Rescue Central.
She supports the Athena Alert bill, stressing time is crucial in missing persons cases.
“Taking that barrier away is going to be helpful. Now I know a lot of people are probably going oh my gosh, my phone’s going to go off all the time now. Well, rightfully so,” Laster said.
The bill could prove potentially lifesaving, including for the family of 12-year-old Joseph Torres.
Family members, alongside community volunteers, have been searching for Joseph since the weekend when he initially went missing.
Family said they don’t believe he’s in danger but there always remains the possibility. No AMBER Alert has been issued in Joseph's disappearance.
San Antonio police noted Joseph was last seen around 3 p.m. Sunday at his home near Midcrown and Gibbs Sprawl on the northeast side.
Relatives said a VIA transit officer spotted Joseph at the Randolph Park and Ride who told him he was going to take bus 552 to Fredericksburg.
Isabel Casillas, Joseph’s aunt, said one man may have seen him at the Budget Suites motel at 7880 Fredericksburg Road, near Callaghan.
That’s the area where family are focusing their search efforts by teaming with groups such as Search and Rescue SATX.
“We’ve been doing everything possible. We love him. We want him home.”