Police: Abducted children still alive

ELKHART -- Police searching for a woman and four children abducted from their home over the weekend said they believed all five were still alive Monday, but they shed no light on their possible whereabouts.\nAn Amber Alert continued Monday for the children, ages 16 months to 9 years old, and their mother, 31-year-old Kimberly N. Walker, whom police believed were in extreme danger.\nAn arrest warrant with charges of attempted murder and several counts of confinement has been issued for Walker's ex-boyfriend and father of the children, Jerry D. White, 30.\nPolice Detective Sgt. Bill Wargo said White has a criminal history that includes weapon charges and has spent time in prison.\n"We believe he is armed and he is holding Ms. Walker and her children against their will," Wargo said at a Monday news conference.\nPolice said White had been harassing Walker for several days and that her sister and her sister's boyfriend were staying with the family. Walker reported to police Friday that White had confined her in her car before stealing it, authorities said.\nPolice believe White broke into Walker's house at about 2 a.m. Saturday and shot her sister's boyfriend, Lathie Turnage, 30, of Chicago, once in the face and once in the chest. White then held everyone captive until leaving with Walker and the children about 11:30 a.m., police said.\nTurnage was in critical but stable condition at Elkhart General Hospital, Wargo said.\nPolice had received reports of possible sightings of Walker and her children from other Midwest law officers, but Wargo declined to elaborate.\n"At this time we don't know where he's at," Wargo said of White. "We have several possibilities that we are looking into right now."\nPolice were especially concerned about the oldest child, 9-year-old Jaylan Walker, who has severe asthma and requires use of a ventilator every few hours, Wargo said. Jaylan's ventilator and inhalers for his asthma were left behind when the family disappeared.\n"We're concerned about all four children, but Jaylan ups the ante a little bit with his medical condition," Wargo said. "We know he's not received that medical attention that he needs."\nWargo said Elkhart police, who are being helped in the investigation by the FBI, were checking drug stores in hopes of finding a clue to the family's whereabouts. They also are checking reports of stolen vehicles.\nWalker's sister's car, in which the family was last seen, was found in a parking lot on the north side of the city on Sunday. Walker's vehicle also was found in the city.\nWargo said police were looking at all means of escape.\n"We've looked at every possibility for somebody to get out of this area," he said.\nThough police believe White might have gone to Chicago, where he has friends and family, Wargo said he is just as likely to still be around Elkhart, 90 miles east, in northern Indiana.\nA cousin of Jerry White told the Chicago Tribune that White had not contacted family members.\n"We are all trying to locate him and let him know that he is welcome to contact us in some kind of way," said Brenda White, 45, of Chicago. "... We want to take him to the police to get this over with.\n"We want to find Jerry safe and sound. We are afraid the worst will happen to him on the street."\nBrenda White said her cousin is not violent.\n"They are saying that Jerry is armed and dangerous. Not Jerry," she said. "He would not harm anyone."\nA two-member rapid response team from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is helping police answer phones to free manpower for the investigation.\nThe other missing children are Justin Walker, 8; Kyara Walker, 6; and 16-month-old Kayla Walker.