Police find missing children

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Detectives with the Fort Wayne Police Department found Dashanique Upchurch and her 13-year-old brother, who had also been reported missing.

Police announced at 11:00 a.m. on Monday that both children had been returned safely to their home.

Upchurch went missing 1 p.m. Sunday. Fort Wayne Police tell NewsChannel 15 she left the home because there was a disturbance. After a few hours, the mother called police.

"She provided us with information at that time, a photo," said Officer Raquel Foster with Fort Wayne Police. "The most current photo is always going to be beneficial to our officers in an investigation."

After NewsChannel 15 reported Upchurch missing, the family's pastor saw the report and started to search for her Sunday night.

"Going around, making calls, going door to door, asking people have they seen her, so we been in the process since 11:20 last night," said Pastor Carlton Lynch of New Beginnings Church.

The Fort Wayne Police Department activated the A Child Is Missing Alert System at 8:30 p.m Sunday. Police and Fire Department personnel searched the area to find her.

Officer Foster said there's a difference between the A Child Is Missing Alert System and an Amber Alert. She said the missing child alert system deals with runaways. Children must meet certain requirements such as being in danger, on medication, have some type of disability, among other criteria before police to go searching for them. In an Amber Alert, you have a child that's been abducted and must have a suspect with their description and car information.

Police received a report early Monday morning of Upchurch's brother, 13, was missing. Officer Foster said one of them was on Facebook helping police locate them in the 1100 block of E. Lewis in Fort Wayne, 1.5 miles from their home.

"They're really thankful for the FWFD because they put in a lot of time, a lot of hours, since last night and I want to tell them they did a fabulous job," said Lynch.