Amber Alert issued for 6 y.o. Cole Puffinburger

[Jaded]

http://i38.tinypic.com/muhawx.jpg


An Amber Alert has been issued for a 6-year-old Las Vegas boy kidnapped this morning during a home invasion and robbery, Metro Police said.


Metro Police Lt. Clint Nichols pleaded with three men who took the boy from his home in northeastern Las Vegas to return the child safely to a school, hospital or convenience store.


The child, Cole Puffinburger, was kidnapped at gunpoint shortly after 7 a.m., when three men posing as police officers knocked on a front door near Hollywood Boulevard and Cherry Grove Avenue, police said.


The crime appears to be random, police said, adding that the mother didn't know the men.


The child's mother let the three men inside the home. The trio then tied up the woman, son and another man. When they didn't find money inside the house, they took the boy, police said.


The boy is described as 3-foot-11 weighing 48 pounds and wearing a black John Cena sweatshirt with stars on it, dark jeans and black Vans tennis shoes. He also wears silver-rimmed glasses.


Two of the suspected robbers were identified only as two Hispanic men, police said. A third man has shoulder-length hair that is slicked back. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.


Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/oct/15/6-year-old-kidnapped-after-home-invasion/

[Just my luck sucks]

Oh Good God, let them find this angel dropped off in a safe place. His poor mother must be losing her mind.

To survive a home invasion, then to have them take your child? This terrified mother has likely shed 20 years off her life in one day.

Cole, I'm praying you come home safe.

[Jaded]

I could be wrong, but it sounds a little hinky to me....

[Rhoni]

I was thinking the same So Jaded...Maybe it is from reading so many stories here on DD you start to get a little suspicious ..Either way I am praying for the safe return of the child..

[Silvahalo]

Oh Good God, let them find this angel dropped off in a safe place. His poor mother must be losing her mind.

To survive a home invasion, then to have them take your child? This terrified mother has likely shed 20 years off her life in one day.

Cole, I'm praying you come home safe.

My feelings exactly. I would be going out of my mind...and borrowing a shotgun. Poor child he must be beside himself with terror.

[Gilbrit]

The child's mother let the three men inside the home. The trio then tied up the woman, son and another man. When they didn't find money inside the house, they took the boy, police said.

She let in three men she did not know?
Who in their right mind lets in three strangers, in today's world?

The little voice in my head says something isn't right with this picture...

[lilbay]

Maybe in hopes of helping protect the child they are not telling on the news that Mom does know the perps and has in fact given info as to who it is.
Hopefully that will help this child survive.

I honestly wonder about this one I just do not get why take this child??
If they do not infact have any money when you run in there to rob them what in hell are you getting from taking this kid except more damn charges.

[crickett]

My son once asked me why I had a baseball bat behind my back when I opened the door to a stranger? This is why.
God help them to find this little one.

[Sister Iroz]

I was just watching this on NG tonight. I believe they said it was not random when they found out they came looking for the grandfather. Apparently, they came looking for the boys grandfather and when the mother said she didn't know where he was they kidnapped the boy. They did mention the possibility of drugs being sold out of the home but I don't think they knew for sure.

I pray with all my heart this boy is found unharmed.

[Kitty]

She let in three men she did not know?
Who in their right mind lets in three strangers, in today's world?

The little voice in my head says something isn't right with this picture...


I read an article on this in the paper-- it stated that the 2 men were dressed like police officers-- I don't let them come in either, I don't even let my neighbors in.. not even when they come bearing brownies.. The whole situation sounds twisted, I sure hope the little boy comes home safe.

http://hamptonroads.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D93S78B80&_action=validatearticle

"LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) -- A nationwide search was under way Friday for a 6-year-old boy kidnapped by two men posing as police officers who tied up his mother and her boyfriend, police said."

[SoUncool]

My son once asked me why I had a baseball bat behind my back when I opened the door to a stranger? This is why.
God help them to find this little one.

I do not open my door PERIOD to anyone except family. Nobody can access my property any way without climbing over a fence. I have an electric gate, totally fenced property and a Rottweiler. I don't even have a doorbell. You don't come to my place unless you're invited. Thank goodness I know most of the deputies in my little town. One lives on my road, my neighbor across the street is a correctional officer. All heavily armed. Yay me!

If these asshats took the boy, they either want ransom or they kidnapped him for "Dad" who is obviously NOT in the picture as it says "another man" was tied up. My vote is that Dad hired the thugs but ya know, without more info, I could be wrong...

[Kitty]

My theory is Someone owed Somebody drugs/cash/both and took the kid in retribution and as collateral (or maybe for Dad I didn't think of that SU) I mean really, you're already in deep shit for drugs, what's a felony kidnap charge on top of it?

[Owd Scrat]

I could be wrong, but it sounds a little hinky to me....

Oh yes, I thought the same thing. And I suppose it could be were all crime fanatics but sadly the statistics of the parents or relative being involved in these sorts of cases is extremely high.

Fake cops? Hmmmmm :dontknow:

I just pray this sweet child is OK and will be brought back safe. {{{Cole}}}

[Jaded]

http://i36.tinypic.com/2rpttte.jpg
Clemens F. Tinnemeyer


Authorities have named the grandfather of 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger as a “person of interest” in their investigation into the boy’s kidnapping and are asking the public to help find him, Las Vegas police said today.

Las Vegas police believe Cole’s kidnappers, during their Wednesday morning raid on Cole’s home, were trying to get money that Clemens Fred Tinnemeyer, 51, stole from drug dealers.

Sources said Thursday the sum of money stolen was between $8 million and $20 million. Cannito would only say the amount of money was in the “millions.”

Tinnemeyer was last heard from on Aug. 22, and his wife filed a missing persons report for him in Las Vegas on Sept. 11. The report states that Tinnemeyer is an “RV driver” and is possibly carrying a .38-caliber handgun.

Cannito said police believe he has been involved in “very significant drug dealing,” primarily in methamphetamine.

“It would be no understatement that other members of the family are involved as well,” he added.

Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for Tinnemeyer and his white 2004 Dodge pickup truck. The truck has Mississippi license plate number KA6251.

Tinnemeyer is described as white, 5 feet 10 inches, 200 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He has a 4-inch scar on his right knee and a 3-inch scar on his left shoulder.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/31173399.html

[Just my luck sucks]

I have a sinking feeling on this one.:bawling:

Grandpa's been gone almost 2 months. Grandpa stole millions from drug dealers. I think Grandpa paid for his crime by sacrificing the life of his grandson.

I' ll also bet that Grandpa is on some Latin American beach--do the drug dealers honestly think Grandpa will return with the money and say "Oh, yea, my bad, I'd like my grandson back now?"

Grandpa knows he's a dead man if the dealers find him, and knows it's probably too late for little Cole after all the breaking news/alerts. Dealer's know the police are looking for Cole and they know the boy is old enough to ID them. So sad. Drugs destroy yet another family.

[Kitty]

http://hamptonroads.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D93ST9F00&_action=validatearticle


"Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer was arrested late Friday in Riverside by United States Marshals, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's records. He was being held at the Central Detention Center in the city of San Bernardino."

Investigators said they believe the child's kidnapping may be linked to Tinnemeyer's drug dealings with Mexican nationals.

[petrina]

AP LAS VEGAS – Authorities have called off an Amber Alert in their search for an abducted Nevada boy but aren't saying why.

Nevada transportation officials canceled the alert for 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger on Saturday morning. They would not give details but planned an afternoon news conference.

Cole was abducted from a Las Vegas home Wednesday by three men posing as police officers. Police say they believe the men were drug dealers and that the kidnapping at gunpoint was a "message" to boy's grandfather.

The grandfather was arrested in Southern California after police named him a "person of interest."

[Sister Iroz]

[QUOTE=petrina;76028]AP LAS VEGAS – Authorities have called off an Amber Alert in their search for an abducted Nevada boy but aren't saying why.

Nevada transportation officials canceled the alert for 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger on Saturday morning. They would not give details but planned an afternoon news conference.

Oh shit, I hope he's alright got a sick feeling in tummy!

[nurseronda]

Nevada transportation officials canceled the alert for 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger on Saturday morning. They would not give details but planned an afternoon news conference.

Oh shit, I hope he's alright got a sick feeling in tummy!
I do too, Special. It doesn't sound good, unless they found the kid in another country.

[CorruptedMistress]

I am not liking this much either :(

Press Conference is scheduled at 5pm ET.

[Unamused Cat]

I don't feel good about this. He has not been found. Grandfather has been arrested.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gTV3mn_HiSgnqf1izYeAEJ8XdrRAD93T43IG1

[blue_zombie]

Latest update is that it's unclear what exactly he was charged with.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/18/nevada.boy.kidnapped/index.html

[Gilbrit]

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k349/Gilbrit/JesusGastelum.jpg

Jesus Gastelum, identified as a "person of interest" in the kidnapping of 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger, is seen in an undated photo. Cole's grandfather, Clemons Fred Tinnemeyer, purportedly owed the drug dealers $8 million to $20 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In a 2001 bankruptcy filing, Tinnemeyer and his wife listed $226,500 in assets and about $329,000 in liabilities. They had three mortgages on their Las Vegas home and tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt.
(Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
October 18, 2008

Story (http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-19kidnap03_k8yhiqnc,0,3439.photo)

I'll repeat what others have posted before me...
This doesn't look good.

[prettyuglyish]

Weird. He was arrested in Riverside, but is locked up in San Bernardino. They're two different counties, so I wonder why Riverside transferred him to SB. This is in my neck of the pavement. What I've heard is that he's being held on a material witness charge. All I know, is that if he's in San Bernardino CDC, and has ripped off Mexican drug dealers, he better hope he's in protective custody. They'll shank his ass.

Ooh OOh! Just reported on the news...Cole's just been found alive and safe at a bus stop in Las Vegas.

[CorruptedMistress]

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=9201504

Just a news link in case anyone wanted to view it for themselves, but it seems Prettyuglish knew more from the news channels than news sites are reporting at the moment.


Thanks for the update, I am glad to know that boy is safe and sound.

[Jaded]

So glad he's safe!! Best news I've heard all day. :smile2:

[Unamused Cat]

I am so happy the little guy is safe.

[petrina]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081019/ap_on_re_us/nevada_boy_abducted

here is more info about his discovery.

[Kitty]

Thank goodness!

"He is safe and in our custody," Cannito said. "It's a blessing this child has been found."

[Illinois2]

Happy Day! Big smile on my face :smile:

[Sister Iroz]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/19/nevada.boy/index.html?eref=rss_crime

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- A 6-year-old boy abducted Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been found safe, the Las Vegas police department announced early Sunday.


Cole Puffinburger was found walking alone in east Las Vegas, police say.

"Cole (Puffinburger) has been found, he is safe and in our custody," Capt. Vince Cannito told reporters in an early morning news conference.

Cannito said that while detectives were canvassing Las Vegas neighborhoods Saturday night with flyers about the boy's abduction, they got a report that a young boy who matched Cole's description was seen walking alone on a sidewalk on the city's east side.

"Detectives rushed there, found the boy and confirmed it was Cole," Cannito said.

"It's just a blessing that this child has been found and he's in extremely good condition," the captain added.

Cole's father, Robert Puffinburger, said the emotion he felt after being informed that his son was safe was "indescribable."

Oh thank you God for keeping this boy alive.

[crickett]

Thank God that this little boy has been returned safely. I was not really looking for a positive outcome as the boy was, perhaps, taken by drug dealers. Since this boys grandfather alledgedly owes these persons somewhere between $8 million and $20 million it did not sound good. Drug dealers and drug lords are not known for being soft hearted. I am just so very thankful that he is alive:cheers:

[Owd Scrat]

It was so awesome to hear he was found alive and OK I almost started crying! I thought with th thugs who took him that they would just kill him....this is such great news!! :marchmellow:

[Jaded]

Cole's dad now has custody....

The parents of Cole Puffinburger, the six-year-old boy kidnapped and released earlier this month, fought over custody of the boy in family court Wednesday. This as his mother and grandfather are still being investigated by Metro for their roles in what lead to the abduction.

The judge heard from both sides of the case hoping to ensure Cole winds up in the safest place possible.

"The one thing we do know is that dad is not under investigation and it is believed, not only by the law enforcement authorities but also by the Victim's Services Unit, that Cole is best protected by and safe in dad's care," said attorney Bryce Duckworth.

Cole's disappearance worried the whole community. He was not on hand for the custody proceedings. His father, Robert Puffinburger, told Eyewitness News his son is okay, "He is handling things well."

During the hearing, a Metro Lieutenant testified that Cole would be safer with his father. He said Cole's mother previously tried faking a kidnapping to get the attention of Cole's grandfather's, Clemens Tinnemayer.

The lieutenant also told the court that during the real kidnapping the perpetrators called Cole's mother by name, "Why would you think that the boy is safer with the father when everybody knows who he is and nobody knows who the mother is? Because I know when the abductors came into the residence looking for her father or cash or drugs or whatever it was they were looking for, they spoke to Julie by name."

In the end, the judge decided to give custody to Cole's father. His mother will be allowed supervised visitation on weekends. After court, Julie Puffinburger and her fiancé ran from the building without comment.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=9262616

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i44.tinypic.com/16k83si.jpg
Jose Lopez-Buelna
Two men have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiring to kidnap and hold for ransom 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger, who was abducted from his Las Vegas home on Oct. 15.

Luis Vega-Rubio, 36, and Jose Lopez-Buelna, 49, are charged with one count of conspiracy to kidnap a child.

If convicted, Vegas-Rubio and Lopez-Buelna face a minimum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Puffinburger was taken from his home and went missing for four days before a bus driver found him Oct. 18 wandering nighttime streets near Oakey Drive and 17th Street.

The boy's mother reported to police that a man entered the residence and pointed a handgun at her and her boyfriend, then restrained them with duct tape and zip ties. The mother said they saw only one man, but heard at least one other voice inside the home. The men said they were looking for money, then kidnapped the boy.

The boy told police he was held at two different locations during the kidnapping and that the people who took him transported him in a suitcase.

The complaint also alleges the boy's grandfather, Clemens Fred Tinnemeyer, had stolen money from the defendants. Tinnemeyer was allegedly working as a drug courier and had been taking large amounts of money and narcotics between the United States and Mexico in motor homes.

Lopez-Buelna hired Tinnemeyer to transport drugs after Tinnemeyer got into debt to him for methamphetamine. In June or July 2008, Tinnemeyer allegedly found more than $4 million in cash hidden in the motor home he was driving. Tinnemeyer was disgruntled about not being paid for an earlier trip and decided to keep the money.

Lopez-Buelna allegedly used a gun to force one of Tinnemeyer's friends to show him where Tinnemeyer's daughter, the mother of the boy, lived. He offered her $20,000 to find Tinnemeyer. Lopez-Buelna also told people that the boy had been kidnaped in an attempt to draw Tinnemeyer to Las Vegas.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Bliss and Nicholas D. Dickinson.http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/feb/24/puffinburger/

[totallytoddler]

OMG...they put him in a suit case.....WTF??? I hope he gets good counseling...poor kid.

[Rockin Ma]

It was so awesome to hear he was found alive and OK I almost started crying! I thought with th thugs who took him that they would just kill him....this is such great news!! :marchmellow:

Screw you Owd, you suck donkey dick.