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Oct. 16, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Police search for boy taken from home

Family targeted in attack by three men, authorities say

By LAWRENCE MOWER
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Cole Puffinburger
6-year-old abducted at gunpoint



The house in the 6800 block of Cherry Grove Avenue from where Cole Puffinburger, 6, was kidnapped Wednesday.
Photo by Jeremy Lyverse/Review-Journal.





Las Vegas police were still searching Wednesday evening for a 6-year-old boy kidnapped at gunpoint from his northeast valley home in the morning.

Cole Puffinburger, a first-grader at Stanford Elementary School, was taken by three Hispanic men after they tied up his mother and her fiance at gunpoint, authorities said.

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    • Police said two, possibly three, men claimed to be police officers before they entered the house on Cherry Grove Avenue, near Hollywood and Lake Mead boulevards, about 7:15 a.m.

    The men demanded money, and the boy's mother and her fiance told them they didn't have any, police said. The men used zip ties to restrain the two, gagged them and searched the house, police said.

    When they didn't find any money, the men took the boy and fled in a vehicle, police said. Police didn't have a description of the vehicle.

    Department spokesman Jacinto Rivera said the men did not leave a ransom note or make any mention of ransom to the couple.

    At a news conference on Wednesday evening, Capt. Vincent Cannito said the abduction was not random.

    "This family was targeted in the attack," he said.

    He said specifically that no family members were involved in the kidnapping -- the boy's parents divorced in 2005 -- but he declined to say what relationship, if any, the men had with the family.

    A few tips have come in, he said, and police are following up on them.

    "There is a very real possibility the suspects are Mexican nationals," Cannito said, noting that it's also possible they are headed across the border to Mexico.

    Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the Southwest region of the country after police received a description of one of the suspects. The alert notifies motorists on freeways through road signs to be on the lookout for the boy or the men.

    Cannito also described the search as "national."

    "No tip is too small," he said in asking for the public's assistance.

    He said two of the men were believed to have been inside the house and one outside when the kidnapping took place.

    The crime shook residents in the working-class neighborhood nestled against the base of Frenchman Mountain

    "He's a very friendly little guy," next-door neighbor Kay J. Bates, 62, said of Cole. "Not knowing where he is has to be one of the most horrific feelings."

    Bates said she was friendly with Cole's mother, Julie, and the two would always wave to her. "I gave her a hug in her driveway one time, and he came over and gave me a hug," she said. "He's really sweet."

    Children in the neighborhood said they didn't know Cole well, and other neighbors said his mother was protective of him.

    Kylie Hoggatt, 18, who lives down the street, said Cole was a "good kid" who sounded more mature than he was.

    On at least five occasions, most recently on Tuesday, Hoggatt said, Cole called her about her black lab being loose and returned the dog to her.

    "He always plays with my dog," she said.

    One of the suspects is described as having black, shoulder-length, slicked-back hair. He is in his early 30s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

    Cole is 3 feet 11 inches tall, 48 pounds and has distinctly stained front teeth. He has blond hair and blue eyes.

    The boy was last seen wearing a black John Cena WWE wrestling shirt, dark jeans, a belt, black Vans shoes, white socks and a black, zip-up hooded sweat shirt with white, black and blue stars over it.

    "I don't know if I feel that safe now," Bates said. "I've been shook up all day."

    As neighborhood children ran up and down the street in front of a row of television news cameras, tears welled up in Bates' eyes.

    "I'm praying that Cole will be found and that he's returned," she said.

    Anybody with information on Cole's whereabouts is encouraged to call police at 828-3111.

    Review-Journal writer Brian Haynes contributed to this report. Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.

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    bringcolehome wrote on October 18, 2008 07:27 PM: I hope we can put our differences aside long enough to focus on the real issue here! The best thing to do right now is to email everyone you know with the picture of the boy and all of the info and tell them to pass it on. I pray for him to be brought home safe and sound and that a soft touch is near to him right now. This is four nights away from home right now. How scared he must be. My son is six, blonde, blue eyes, and this is just breaking my heart to not hear he is home yet.
    If anyone important to this can read this, we beg for you to just let him go. He's done no wrong. Take it out on the person who is responsible, not an innocent child. Please, just take him to any public place and drop him off. If his mother won't I will beg. I beg of you, let him go. He's just a baby.


    There are many of us wrote on October 16, 2008 09:18 PM: This is heartbreaking. I see my grandson, when I look at his picture.

    My thoughts and prayers are with Cole, his father and mother. There are many of us, who are deeply caring of this child and his welfare. In many ways, this event is happening to all of us.


    bill wrote on October 16, 2008 08:54 PM: Joe C wrote on October 16, 2008 07:26 PM: Several years back an illegal alien and his sister killed a three year old and crippled her sister in Mesquite.
    _____________________________________________

    what the hell are you talking about Joe C? Beau and Monique Maestas were born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah by a white family. I'm sure it sounded good in your head though. I can only offer my prayers for little Cole who doesn't deserve all the bad things that have happened or may happen to him.


    slade wrote on October 16, 2008 08:40 PM: silver or lead

    the big thing in mexico is to kidnap a famly member then say either pay up or we kill him. it happens all the time in mexico and now its happening here.


    Citizen wrote on October 16, 2008 04:55 PM: I humbly and officially retract my feelings regarding the parents. I just saw the press coverage of the update from law enforcement. If the family of this child are involved in drug activity I hope they are found partially responsible for what has happened.

    This does NOT mean that we should stop looking for this child, nor should we turn a blind eye because the family is worthless. The child needs to be found .... safe.


    Bob wrote on October 16, 2008 04:25 PM: As a father my heart aches for this poor little boy.

    I have been and will continue to pray for Cole.

    God bless him


    D Jones wrote on October 16, 2008 04:04 PM: I think there is something wrong with this story. I hope I'm wrong but I think the parents are involved. Why would these alleged illegals take this kid? How many times in the past has it been a "black" person that committed the kidnapping. Remember Susan Smith? Or, the notorious "bushy headed stranger"? And, if they were possibly known by the parents, wouldn't Metro have a bead on them by now? However this happened, I hope Cole is found.

    Regarding the illegals being here. Thank the Feds for the laws not being enforced. The States' hands are tied. The illegals are here with the Feds' blessing. Mexico is now our 51st state.


    Ingrid wrote on October 16, 2008 03:25 PM: Let's help find Cole. He needs to returned home asap. Forget about illegal aliens. We would probably loose 50% of hard working people, this means, Chinese, Asians, Italians, Mexicans, Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Argentinas, Jews, Africans, etc.. Remember just because our color is white and blonde hair does not mean we are americans.


    whatheheck wrote on October 16, 2008 02:51 PM: Thank you Herb, I agree. No matter who/what/when/where/why/how...I said in a earlier post even the hardened criminals at the CCDC know that when it comes to children, if they do or dont get the death penalty, they will be taken care of in jail. I lived in the bay area when Polly was taken, I remember how everyone thought her father had something to do with it, and he was an innocent man. Those of us to AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME are the ones in the end that look like fools. Wait for the facts, and I am not talking about what the media PROTRAYS as facts, we all know how those are twisted at times. I have sent out over 500 emails thus far, to friends in southern/northern california, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, New York, relatives throughout the US and beyond. I will be watching every person, every child. I did a study in college about child abduction. Stood my little brother out in front of a grocery store BY HIMSELF with a MISSING sign and his picture 10 feet away, wearing the exact same clothes he had on in the picture, NOT ONE PERSON.... NOT ONE stopped to ask where his mommy was, where his daddy was, where anyone were. Made me sick. It is up to US to bring him home, obviously the mother either does not know anything, or is not talking....PERIOD.


    Mauna loa wrote on October 16, 2008 02:42 PM: Just to set the record straight:

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    INVASION USA
    Illegal aliens murder 12 Americans daily
    Death toll in 2006 far overshadows total U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, Afghanistan

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Posted: November 28, 2006
    1:00 am Eastern


    By Joseph Farah
    © 2008 WorldNetDaily.com




    WASHINGTON – While the military "quagmire" in Iraq was said to tip the scales of power in the U.S. midterm elections, most Americans have no idea more of their fellow citizens – men, women and children – were murdered this year by illegal aliens than the combined death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since those military campaigns began.

    Though no federal statistics are kept on murders or any other crimes committed by illegal aliens, a number of groups have produced estimates based on data collected from prisons, news reports and independent research.

    Twelve Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens, according to statistics released by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. If those numbers are correct, it translates to 4,380 Americans murdered annually by illegal aliens. That's 21,900 since Sept. 11, 2001.

    Don't yell at the messenger.


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