Amber Alert canceled after police find four children abducted from Cleveland school

A man suspected of abducting four children on Wednesday is now in custody.

An Amber Alert was issued after a believed-to-be-armed Ocatvia Hatchell, 33, removed his four children from school around 11:50 a.m. after a domestic dispute.

The alert was canceled after a bystander observed a man, matching the alert’s description, and called police, who positively identified the man and four children, according to Cleveland Police’s Facebook page. Police believe Hatchell removed his children from school after a domestic dispute, and he threatened to kill himself.

The children — ages 6, 9, 10, 11 — are unharmed, and police expressed gratitude toward the caller on Facebook: “The citizen who called in is a hero in our eyes. Policing is a partnership and when we all get involved, great things happen. “

The Amber Alert system assists “law enforcement, adding more eyes and ears to assist in the search for missing children,” according to AmberAlert.com’s mission statement.

To register to receive alerts directly or partner with the program, visit AmberAlert.com.

— Jennifer Shore