Officials in Virginia issued an Amber Alert on Thursday for what authorities describe as an abduction of three children who were waiting for a school bus.
The Virginia August County Sheriff’s Office reported the abduction occurred around 7:45 a.m. EST on Thursday. The children were waiting for a school bus outside an apartment complex in Fishersville when they were seized, according to the Virginia State Police. Fishersville is about a two-hour drive northwest of Richmond. The Amber Alert was issued by the Virginia State Police and Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse on behalf of the sheriff’s office.
The children are thought to be in “extreme danger” and authorities believe their biological mother, Shanice Chante Davison, is responsible for their disappearance, according to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. The children were possibly picked up in a black Nissan Sentra with an unknown tag. Authorities believe Davison is traveling with the children to Alabama, where she lives, and that they are no longer in Virginia.
“The safety and well-being of the children remain our highest priority, and we are working diligently with law enforcement agencies across state lines to locate them,” the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release shared with USA TODAY.
Who are the missing children?
The abducted children are Ja’Liyah Lewis, Black female age 6, Ja’Miya Lewis, Black female age 8, and Jai’Marcus Lewis, Black male age 10, according to the Amber Alert. The two girls were last seen wearing pink jackets and the boy was wearing a dark blue jacket with neon zippers, the Virginia State Police reported.
According to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, Davison is a 55-year-old Black woman who resides in Evergreen, Alabama. She is five-feet, six-inches tall, weighs about 185 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who has information about the missing children should call the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office at 540-245-5333 or make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 800-322-2017. If someone sees Davison or the children, authorities advise people to not approach them. Instead, contact local law enforcement.
