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Tennessee Bureau of Investigation addresses Lakeland girl's Amber Alert controversy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When 4-year-old Rebecca Lewis was reported missing Saturday from her Lakeland home, an Amber Alert was issued in Florida as investigators searched for her.

Her accused abductor, Wild West Hogs, 31, initially took her across the street for breakfast at McDonald’s before driving nearly 400 miles north to Forsyth, Georgia, authorities said.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office requested that an Amber Alert be issued in Tennessee, but the state refused, saying that there wasn’t enough evidence to show that Hogs was in Tennessee.

The inaction drew harsh criticism Monday from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd after a Tennessee park ranger reported speaking with Hogs late Sunday at Cove Lake State Park.

The ranger didn’t know who Hogs and Lewis were until he saw a bulletin later about the abduction, at which point it was too late, Judd said.

“Here’s a news flash, Tennessee: He was there,” Judd said during a Monday media briefing.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation responded to the situation, saying: “Every state has a different set of standards and processes when determining whether to issue an Amber Alert.

“Sometimes, the implications of these processes may not be understood by local-level jurisdictions where these type (of) cases are not routinely experienced,” the TBI said in a statement. “Our intention is to reserve Amber Alerts for verified sightings and specific, actionable information that might result in the successful recovery of missing children determined to be in imminent danger.

“Here in Tennessee, when we issue an Amber Alert for other states, they have met our criteria.”

The TBI said It received a phone call from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement asking for a statewide Amber Alert to be issued in the Lewis case.

“We indicated that since there was no specific information the child was in Tennessee at the time that we were not able to issue an Amber Alert,” another TBI statement said, noting that a be-on-the-lookout alert to law enforcement was issued immediately.

When evidence of Hogs and Lewis being in the state was discovered Monday morning, the TBI issued an Amber Alert in East Tennessee and then in the rest of the state when Hogs used a debit card outside Nashville.

“We are confident we have done everything possible – within the bounds of our established policies and practices – to assist authorities in Florida, given the information available to us throughout this event,” the TBI said.

Lewis was rescued Monday afternoon in Memphis, Tennessee, when a hospital employee recognized her and Hogs and contacted police.