AMBER Alert issued for missing 6-year-old David Puckett in Aurora

AURORA, Colo. – An AMBER Alert has been issued to help spread the word about a missing 6-year-old in Aurora.

David Puckett disappeared around 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the 15700 block of East Amherst Place, near Olympic Park in Aurora. Police said he voluntarily left home and investigators don’t believe any foul play is involved.

However, because of the extended time David has been missing and because of the incoming cold weather, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation agreed to issue the AMBER Alert, Aurora Police said Monday afternoon.

The reward for information leading to finding David was increased to $10,000 on Monday night. Aurora Police have set up three tip lines for information in David's case -- 303-739-1865, 303-739-1868 and 303-739-1870.

Authorities asked the public to search their yards, including any cabinets, old vehicles and other items. McCoy said it is not enough to call David's name, investigators are asking the public to do a search.

The FBI is assisting Aurora Police.

Aurora Police spokeswoman Crystal McCoy said the FBI has "resources they can offer us."

The search area started as a half mile, but has been expanded over time to a 2.5-mile radius, McCoy explained.

She said sex offenders in the area have been contacted and police are going door-to-door talking to neighbors.

Volunteers were invited to come to Olympic Park at 15501 East Yale Avenue on Monday to help in the search. However, at 1:45 p.m. Monday, police asked community members to suspend their search while blood hounds were brought in. Police are not sure when and if there will be another community search on Tuesday.

David's mother, Stephanie Puckett, asked the community Sunday for help finding her son, “Please bring my baby home. Please help me find him." Aurora Police said they didn't have information on David's dad.

David was reported missing about an hour after he disappeared, police said.

David may be wearing camouflage pants with black and orange boots, a black shirt and tan coat. He is about four feet tall, weighing 48 pounds with light brown hair and blue-green eyes. He has a minor learning disability.

David is a student at Dartmouth Elementary and may have possibly gone to a classmate’s home. Police said other parents might not be aware that David has been reported missing. David has gone missing once before. Police said he left school, but was found safe.

Many have questioned why an AMBER Alert was not immediately issued. Authorities said Colorado has four requirements to issue anAMBER Alert:

• The child has to be under 18
• Be in immediate danger of serious harm or death
• Have enough descriptive information to believe a broadcast will assist or aid in the recovery
• The activation must be requested by a local law enforcement agency or AMBER Designee from another state.

AMBER Alerts were named for nine-year-old Amber Hagerman who was abducted in and killed in Texas in 1996. Her kidnapping and murder remain unsolved.