A missing 2-year-old girl, Amira Coleman, who was at the center of a statewide Amber Alert Tuesday, May 20, has been found safe in East Oakland.
Three relatives , including her biological parents and maternal grandmother, are now in police custody.
The alert, issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed a violent confrontation in which Amira’s paternal grandmother and legal guardian, Alicia Benjamin, was allegedly attacked at her home near 39th and Adeline Streets by the toddler’s parents and maternal grandmother.
Amira was located later that night, around 11:30 p.m., inside a home on 94th Avenue in East Oakland, according to CHP and her family.
The exact details of how she was recovered remain unclear, but authorities confirmed she is safe and back with her legal guardian.
“So I’m like, just take the folder and go,” Benjamin told KTVU, recounting the attack. “Her mother then rushed in, pushed the gate in, pushed me down in the house, just started hitting me, digging my eyes out.”
Benjamin, who had recently been granted temporary guardianship of Amira due to alleged domestic violence between the child’s parents, suffered visible cuts and bruises during the incident. She said she had locked Amira in another room to shield her from the violence, adding,
“She’s traumatized already from them fighting every day around her.”
Arrests and Allegations
Oakland police arrested Andrew Coleman, 25, Tamira Claggion, 24, and Chalita West, the child’s maternal grandmother. The trio was booked on suspicion of burglary, battery, and violating a custody order. West faces an additional charge of assault with a firearm.
Authorities also revealed that both parents have a history of domestic violence, drug possession, and making criminal threats.
The Amber Alert was deactivated shortly after Amira was located.
