Amber Alert: Sex Offender May Be Driving Colorado Girl To North Dakota

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4) - The frantic search for a 12-year-old Colorado girl who is believed to have been abducted by a registered sex offender is continuing.

The case triggered an Amber Alert on Wednesday night that remains in effect.

Raeanna Rosencrans remains missing and Jody Haskin, 47, has been named a suspect in the case, according to Grand Junction police spokeswoman Heidi Davidson. Her department is putting together an arrest warrant for Haskin, who is Rosencrans's stepfather but doesn't have any parental rights to her.

"Our primary focus is Raeanna's safe return," Grand Junction Interim Police Chief Mike Nordine said.

The case unfolded on Colorado's Western Slope in the afternoon after Rosencrans got off her school bus in the 400 block of Larry's Meadow Drive in Grand Junction. She was approached by an adult male in a vehicle and a friend she was with said she saw her get into the man's car willingly.

Rosencrans's mother called police at 3:48 p.m. to report that she didn't come home from school.

After Rosencrans's disappearance, family members told police Haskin might have something to with it.

"We were also able to identify leads that indicated Jodi Haskin may be traveling in a family member's vehicle which matched the description of the car witnessed in the abduction of Rosencrans," said Nordine.

Nordine said "good, proactive police work" led to the recovery of that car in the parking lot of a Walmart in Rifle. No one was in it, however.

Police said they are checking into the possibility that Haskin may have ties to North Dakota and could possibly be headed there.

"We are communicating with law enforcement agencies along those potential routes (from Colorado to North Dakota)," Nordine said.

No information has been provided about what kind of vehicle the pair may now be traveling in.

Nordine said Rosencrans has certain medical conditions and that there are concerns she might not be getting the prescriptions she needs. He didn't explain what those conditions are.

Nordine said there "have been lots of questions and concerns" about the fact that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation didn't issue the official Amber Alert until 10:12 p.m., more than six hours after her disappearance.

"Amber Alerts have specific perameters and requirements that must be met before they can be issued," Nordine said.

Haskin was described as being a while male who is 6 feet tall, weighs 215 pounds and is balding with brown eyes and glasses. He has a previous warrant out for his arrest for sex assault on a child in Grand Junction.

Rosencrans is 5-foot-1 and weighs approximately 135 pounds. She has blue eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing black jeans, black top with white embellishments, Adidas shoes and a white backpack with a southwest-style design.

Nordine said Rosencrans's family is "devastated" by her abduction.

Additional Resources

Anyone with tips about the abduction of Raeanna Rosencrans and the location of Jody Haskin is asked to call (970)549-5656.