AMBER ALERT: 6 year old boy kidnapped in a home invasion in East Las Vegas

[VegasLactivist]

http://www.kvbc.com/global/story.asp?s=9181800

Six-year-old Cole Puffinburger is the victim of a home invasion kidnapping in the area of Hollywood and Lake Mead Boulevard.

Detectives are trying to figure out if this kidnapping was a random act or if they actually knew the family. Police are still conducting interviews and canvassing the neighborhood where Cole was last seen.

Cole was taken from his home just after 7 am Wednesday morning. News 3 was told that two Latin men knocked on the door of the home on Cherry Grove pretending to be police.

When the door was answered, the suspects burst in, tied up those inside, and ransacked the home looking for cash. When the suspects didn't find any money, they took Cole instead.

Police are pleading with the kidnappers to either call or to just take the child to a local hospital, convenience store, or police station and drop him off.

Six-year-old Cole Puffinberger is a first grader at Stanford Elementary School. He was last seen wearing a black wrestling shirt, dark jeans, and a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt with black, blue, and white stars.

An Amber Alert has been issued and News 3 will provide more details on that information as soon as it is available.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

[Sputterduck]

That makes me want to puke. That poor child.

Always always always call the police station if police show up unannounced at your door to be sure they are legitimate. That's what I've heard.

[VegasLactivist]

That's not a fabulous area of town either.

It's just SO scary. I find myself hoping that they knew the perpetrator, that maybe that will increases the chance that they get him home unharmed. I know were it my baby, I'd be fucking out of my mind with grief and panic.

[jessiehannan]

:( That poor baby.

[3girls2luv]

That is awful I hope they find him soon.

[Laurens_Mom]

I hope the find him safe, soon!

[VegasLactivist]

And people wonder why I deadbolt my door in the daytime and don't open it if I don't know you.

[HammBugga]

:( I was goin to sak if it was a nice area and maybe they wanted a ransom. That is so scary, one of my worst fears :(

[Earthmama]

:( T&P out to that family. I can't imagine.

[Crabbie]

Hopefully he's home soon.

[cc1003]

Update:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/15/state/n130412D27.DTL&tsp=1

The kidnapping of a 6-year-old boy from his Las Vegas home was connected to a drug deal involving the child's family members, police said Thursday.

There is a definite "drug nexus" connecting the family to the men who took the child from his home Wednesday morning, Las Vegas Police Capt. Vincent Cannito told reporters in an afternoon news conference.

Cannito said "significant money and drugs" were involved, but would not provide more details.

Cole Puffinburger was kidnapped by two Hispanic men, whom authorities said identified themselves as police officers to gain entry into the home where the boy's mother and her boyfriend were left tied up Wednesday morning.

Cannito said the home, in a residential area several miles northeast of downtown, was ransacked.

"This child witnessed that. This child was ripped from the home," he said.

An Amber Alert remained in effect for a second day in Nevada and was expanded nationwide as police searched for the child.

The boy was described as 3 feet 11 inches tall and 48 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes and silver-framed glasses. Puffinburger was last seen wearing a black shirt, a black zip-up sweat shirt with white, black and blue stars, blue jeans and tennis shoes.

Las Vegas police said the two would-be robbers demanded money before abducting the boy a little before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. A third man also was believed to be involved.

Cannito would not comment on whether the family had been contacted about paying ransom.

One of the suspects was described as having black shoulder-length, slicked-back hair. The man, in his early 30's, was about 5 feet 7 inches and 150 pounds, and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Authorities do not have a description of the other men or the getaway car, which delayed the initial posting of the statewide alert.

"We're urging people, if they've seen anything, to contact our missing persons detail," Las Vegas police Officer Bill Cassell said.

"We've had a lot of tips," Cassell said. "The frustrating thing is we have nothing new at this point."

This is terrible!!

[Teresa64]

OMG so basically one of the poor kids parents was into drugs and that is the cause of this nightmare? Thats sick.

[VegasLactivist]

It's from the mother's father, the grandfather.

[Teresa64]

Don't get me wrong I do feel sorry for them. I couldn't imagine going through that. But I also couldn't imagine the guilt of knowing htat it could have been prevented.

[Bohemian]

Horrifying, I can't imagine what that poor boy is going through or his parents. :(

[Earthmama]

Still praying for his safe return.

[Laurens_Mom]

Praying for his safe return.

[Bohemian]

They just broke in with a statewide alert from the EBS.

The are looking for a white 2004 Dodge pick up truck with Mississippi plates numbered: MS KA6 251.

Person of interest in the kidnapping, Clemens Tinnemeyer. This is the grandfather and apparently he has information regarding the kidnapping. Asshole needs to come forward and help his grandson out.
http://amberalert.nv.gov/images/ct.jpg
Adult Male, 51 years of age, 5'10, 205 lbs, brown hair, green eyes.