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39-year-old Kenneth Derrick Smiley was taken into custody by Harrisburg police on Friday afternoon, City of Harrisburg Director of Communications Matt Maisel told Daily Voice in an email on Oct. 28.
Additional information is expected to be released by the police at a later time. Follow Daily Voice for those updates.
ORIGINAL:
A Pennsylvania statewide amber alert was canceled around 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, but the kidnapper remains at-large police say.
Kenneth Derrick Smiley, 39, of the Harrisburg area, is wanted on multiple charges in connection with this and several other incidents, according to Harrisburg police.
The Harrisburg police were called to an active kidnapping in the area of 20th and Holly streets around 4:45 a.m.
Upon arrival, at the 2000 block of Holly Street officers met with Smiley's girlfriend who said that her sons 5-year-old Ammon Long and 4-year-old Ezekiel Long "were taken forcibly" by Smiley. During a press conference shortly after 11 a.m. Capt. Terry Wealand said one of the two boys was Smiley's child and there was an incident involving his girlfriend and Smiley earlier in the morning that they are not sharing details about as the investigation is ongoing.
Smilely had fled the area with the children in a black Nissan Maxima with a Pennsylvania license plate reading LMJ5478. The Amber Alert was issued at 7:50 a.m. but 25 minutes later a Harrisburg City officer spotted the vehicle parked in the 200 Block of South 19th Street— inside the two boys were found unharmed.
The children were transported to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution, according to a release by the police.
Smiley was not located.
He remains at large and is wanted on charges of Criminal Attempt Homicide (3 Counts), Burglary, Kidnapping (3 Counts), Strangulation, Aggravated Assault, Terroristic Threats, and Simple Assault. He is also wanted for violating his Pennsylvania State Parole.
Five different women have filed nine protection from abuse orders against Smiley since 2008, according to county records, PennLive reports.
Abuse against one of the women during the 2019 Superbowl even sent her to the hospital, the outlet reports.
He also recently was charged with simple assault and terroristic threats following an incident in Hall Manor, which the outlet says continued at a daycare on Oct. 9, according to court records.
Smiley is described as:
- Height: 5 feet, 5 inches.
- Weight: 180 pounds.
- Hair: Black.
- Eyes: Brown.
- Clothing: Unknown.
The public is warned not to approach him if they spot him as he is considered dangerous, police said at the press conference.
Anyone who spots Smiley should call 911.
Anyone with information regarding Smiley is asked to contact Detective Edwin Powell of The Harrisburg Police at 717-255-3182.
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