Children found safe in Ormond Beach after mom threatens to harm them, herself

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Authorities said they found a mother and her two daughters who were reported missing Monday.

Family members told authorities Jennifer Peabody, 28, had threatened to kill her two daughters, Allison and Angela Pastorino, and then herself, Ormond Beach police said.

The Ormond Beach Police Department said detectives called for an Amber Alert because the case appeared to match the criteria, and Peabody and her daughters were found at a relative's home.

As police investigated, they realized Peabody had legal custody of the children, so detectives had to backtrack the Amber Alert and issue a missing endangered child alert.

The Amber Alert never went official, which is why it wasn't broadcast statewide.

Peabody is suffering from depression, and authorities said she made the threats by phone to a relative in New Jersey.

"It doesn't change how we react or how we respond, we still pull out all the stops, but it's just that instead of calling it the Amber Alert," said Officer Keith Feder of the Ormond Beach Police Department.

The difference between the two is that an Amber Alert hits the Emergency Broadcast System, signs on the interstate and lottery machines and sends texts and emails to those who are signed up to receive them.

For a missing and endangered child alert, the media is notified, texts and emails go out, Crimestoppers is notified, and so is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"Maybe you won't see it on the overhead signs on the turnpike, but it's still a missing [and] endangered alert," said Feder.

A week ago, a 17-year-old was abducted from Daytona Beach and raped. Officials could not send an Amber Alert then because they didn't know the girl was kidnapped at the time, which is another criteria. Only a missing and endangered child alert went out.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said sometimes, a missing and endangered child alert is used until detectives have enough information for an Amber Alert. They said it has to be strict so that Amber Alerts are always taken more seriously than anything else.

WFTV