By: ABQ RAW staff
POSTED: 02/08/2023 @5:15PM
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in locating missing 32-year-old Phylicia Baca and 1-year-old Geovanni Contreras. Phylicia is believed to use illicit substances around Geovanni. Both mother and son were recently seen in the area of 2nd /Rio Bravo Blvd. Due to the information relayed to law enforcement, investigators are concerned for their safety. And allegedly, the mother is not cooperating with law enforcement.
If you are wondering why BCSO has not issued an AMBER Alert for the missing 1 year old, Geovanni Contreras, per the DOJ they recommend that close to or all criteria must be met in order for an AMBER Alert to be issued. What the criteria includes, and more information can be found here:
- There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
- The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
- There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
- The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger.
- The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.
BCSO also published this photo on their FaceBook page on Sunday, February 5th, 2023:
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NM DPS), which oversees the New Mexico State Police (NMSP), is the issuing agency for AMBER Alerts and additional information about AMBER Alerts can be found here. On the NM DPS website it says “Below, you will find an Amber Alert response checklist for law enforcement and dispatch, along with a list of the criteria which must be met in order for an Amber Alert to be disseminated.” The NMSP’s AMBER Alert form, which is available for the public to see on the NM DPS website, it specifically says they will NOT issue an AMBER Alert if the investigating agency, which in this case is BCSO, says “no” to the first three criteria and in this case, BCSO would have to say “no” for criteria 2 because the child is with his mother.
Given that Geovanni Contreras is with his mother, this is not seen as an true abduction, but it is still imperative that law enforcement be aided in finding this young child. Geovanni Contreras is described as having brown eyes and black hair. If you have any information regarding this case please call 505-798-7000 or 911.