Two boys reported missing, after a violent custody dispute, have been returned safely to their home in Hudson. Their mother and father fought Thursday morning when the boys were not returned to their mother after a night with their father. 45-year-old Rocco DiBerardino Sr. is going through a divorce and an order for protection was issued against DiBerardinio because he owns a handgun and had made previous threats against his wife.
Both the children and the father were found in Minnesota, DiBerardino in Hastings and the boys in a hotel in Stillwater.
Now, there are questions why the Amber Alert requested by Hudson police never got to broadcasters in the St. Croix Valley and the Twin Cities area. It apparently aired in the Milwaukee area but not on a statewide network set up to ask people for help.
Hudson Police Lt. Paul Nelson could not determine what caused the breakdown, “I have no idea about the actually process and procedure in regards to the Wisconsin amber alert. Our department has never done that.”
Milwaukee radio station WTMJ told a Twin Cities television station about the Amber Alert and the word got out hours after Hudson police requested the public’s help. The Alert was posted on a website maintained by state officials.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which maintains its own Amber Alert system, is supposed to be notified when there is a request for assistance from St. Croix County law enforcement agencies. There was no response from Wisconsin’s Amber Alert operators from calls by reporters Thursday about the incident.
Jeff Petersen-WIXK