Updated 2 pm
An Illinois woman was arrested at the Fort Des Moines Hotel on Walnut St in Des Moines in connection with an AMBER Alert issued Monday at 2:50 am in Jefferson.
Reed Landon Day, 4, and Rheea Lee Ann Day, 2, both of Jefferson were taken to a Des Moines hospital for evaluation after being found. The tots were reported missing at 8:30 pm Sunday after spending the weekend with Allison Ann Marie Tucker, 20, of Illinois. They were found with Tucker, who was subsequently arrested on a charge of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. Charges of child stealing, a Class C felony, are pending.
According to Jefferson police chief Dave Morlan, Tucker is a longtime friend of the children’s mother, Whitney (Fedders) Day. Tucker was babysitting the children while their mother worked.
The AMBER Alert was cancelled at about 5:30 am.
The Jefferson police department was assisted by the Greene County sheriff’s office, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Des Moines police department, the Iowa State Patrol and other state agencies.
The investigation is ongoing.
The AMBER Alert was issued at 3:14 am.
