TEMPLE, Texas – Police officers arrested Amanda Guerra, a 39-year-old woman and mother of 7-year-old Kryslee Hernandez, who had been the subject of an Amber Alert issued on Tuesday evening. Temple police announced that Guerra was taken into custody under an emergency detention order.
When Hernandez was reported missing, the police believed she was in grave danger. The girl and her mother were last seen around 11 a.m. on June 27, entering a wooded area near the railroad tracks in the 3100 block of North 12th Street.
Residents on 12th Street, such as Judy Wilson, noticed suspicious activity and questioned what the two were doing in the neighborhood.
“I asked her if I could help, thinking maybe she was lost or looking for a house or something. She said no and mentioned she was taking her little one around,” Wilson said.
At 4:24 p.m., a resident returned home and discovered an unfamiliar vehicle parked in her driveway. She immediately called the police and provided surveillance footage from her home to investigators. The footage captured Guerra and Hernandez entering a wooded area.
Wilson also witnessed the pair going into the wooded area, with the little girl trailing behind her mother. They were walking at a slow pace, according to Wilson.
An Amber Alert was issued for the girl at around 11 p.m. Tuesday. Temple police, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted an overnight search using drones and K-9 units.
“During the investigation, family and friends expressed deep concern for Guerra and 7-year-old Kryslee Hernandez’s well-being,” stated Temple police. “In interviews, they indicated that Guerra may have been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.”
Relatives informed the police that Guerra’s cellphone was switched off, and she had not informed anyone about her plans to visit the wooded area. “No one could provide an explanation as to why she and Kryslee would have abandoned the vehicle,” added the police.
On June 28, at approximately 7:00 a.m., the police received a call from a family member who had been contacted by Guerra using a bystander’s phone.
The family member provided the detective with the location in the 3300 block of N. 3rd St. in Temple, which was approximately half a mile from Guerra and the child’s last known location.
Officers responded to the area and discovered the girl and the woman. Both were immediately evaluated by EMS for likely dehydration, as they had minor scratches indicating they had traveled through a wooded area, according to the police.
Guerra was taken into custody under the emergency detention order, while the girl was released to her relatives.
“I’m just grateful that she and her mother are safe, and Kryslee is back home,” said Johnny Hernandez, the girl’s father. “She is resting, watching TV, and drinking lots of Gatorade.”