Amber Alert canceled after Layton teen, suspect found in Nebraska
Dec 28, 2022, 5:24 AM | Updated: 11:43 am
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — An Amber Alert that was issued Tuesday has been canceled after a Layton teen was found safe in Nebraska.
The suspect, 26-year-old Aaron Zeman, was taken into custody and police are working to reunite the victim with his family.
“We haven’t been able to talk to (the victim) yet — this has all just unfolded really recently, so we’re eager to do that, but we’ve been told he’s in good condition and fine,” said Lt. Travis Lyman with the Layton City Police Department.
The #AMBERAlert in Layton has been canceled. The details from @laytonpolice this morning on #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/Khr1VWizoS
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) December 28, 2022
Police said the two were found in a car at a gas station in Grand Island, Nebraska, around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday.
“An alert gas station attendant had actually thought something looked suspicious about the car and these people that were there at the gas station, called the police department and they responded,” Lyman said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Layton police launched the alert to locate the 13-year-old, whom detectives said was lured away by Zemen, of Arizona.
According to investigators, the teen exchanged messages with Zemen — who had apparently been going by the fake name of Hunter Fox — through an Oculus virtual reality device on Monday and then left his house late Monday night to take off with Zemen.
The boy’s mother told KSL TV the situation began weeks earlier when she discovered her son had been communicating with a stranger via the online game “Roblox.”
“I opened his phone up, and that’s kind of where I stumbled upon conversations, and it just kind of turned into a rabbit hole,” she said. “We took all means away that we knew.”
(2/3) Certainly, parents need to be aware of this. We see a lot of these cases, unfortunately, where there's this type of communication going on…@laytonpolice @KSL5TV
— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) December 28, 2022
(3/3) Rarely does it escalate to the point where someone is enticed out of their home and leaves with a suspect like this.”
Police say they are eager to talk with both suspect and victim to determine what has gone on.@KSL5TV @laytonpolice
— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) December 28, 2022
