Missing Tennessee Boy, 3, Found Safe in California

Amber Alert had been issued for Noah Clare
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 17, 2021 1:53 PM CST
Updated Nov 19, 2021 3:26 AM CST
Kentucky Kidnap Suspect's Vehicle Found in California
Jacob Clare.   (Tennessee Bureau of Investigations)

Update: Missing 3-year-old Tennessee boy Noah Clare and his 16-year-old cousin Amber Clare have been found "safe and sound" in San Clemente, California, authorities say. Jacob Clare—Noah's father and Amber's uncle—has been taken into custody. Clare and the children, who had been missing since Nov. 6, were spotted by San Clemente resident Julia Bonin when she was dropping her kids off at school Thursday morning, Fox reports. Jacob Clare has been charged with aggravated kidnapping. "THEY GOT THEM!!!!!" Noah's mother said in a Facebook post. Our original story from Nov. 17 follows:

Police in southern California are urging residents to be on the lookout for a Kentucky man and the two children he is accused of kidnapping. A Subaru Legacy belonging to 35-year-old Jacob Clare was found in San Clemente, Orange County, Tuesday, but authorities are still searching for Clare, along with 3-year-old son Noah Clare and 16-year-old niece Amber Clare. The children were last seen Nov. 6, KTLA reports. An endangered missing advisory has been issued for Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties.

Relatives say Clare, who has weekend visitation rights with his son, left Beaver Dam, Kentucky, with the boy and his niece but never showed up at Noah's mother's home in Gallatin, Tennessee, WKBO reports. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for Noah on Tuesday, reports the Tennessean. An Amber Alert has also been issued in Arizona, where Clare's vehicle was spotted last week. Authorities say Jacob Clare faces charges of especially aggravated kidnapping. A California Highway Patrol advisory states that Clare, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, is "believed to be armed and dangerous."

story continues below

Amanda Ennis, Noah's mother, told WKBO she has a message for Clare: "Keep him safe." "I don’t know what is going through his mind," she told the station. "He clearly has a lot of deep issues going on mentally that I pray that once they are found that he gets help. I just I pray that he keeps Noah safe until he is back home with me." The CHP's advisory states that Noah is 3 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 40 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes. Amber is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. (More missing child stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X