Colorado teen missing for three months found in Morgan Hill
By Marilyn Dubil Staff Writer
Morgan Hill – Thanks to the actions of a “good Samaritan” and the Morgan Hill Police Department, a 17-year-old girl who has been missing from her home state of Colorado for three months was found in Morgan Hill Tuesday night.
The teen was found after two incidents involving a group of men who were selling magazines door-to-door. Four men, all from outside California, were arrested as a result, according to MHPD Sgt. David Swing,.
Alan Amerson, 41, of Chicago, was one of the magazine salesmen, Swing said. He was arrested on suspicion of battery after a run-in with a potential customer.
“Apparently there was a disagreement, and Mr. Amerson wouldn’t leave; he was very persistent,” Swing said. “When the victim asked him to leave, he refused. He made some comments to the victim, then the victim told him to leave or he would release his dogs. Amerson again made some derogatory comments, then struck the victim in the face with the palm of his hand.”
Amerson fled after striking the victim.
At the same time the dispute was taking place, the Colorado teen was at the home of Dmitri Nikonov, trying to sell him magazines.
“She came up and started saying she belonged to an organization that helps young adults from inner-cities to succeed, to get work experience and earn money for their education,” Nikonov said. “She was really persistent in trying to sell me these magazines. She showed me checks people had given her.”
At first, she just seemed like any other visitor that comes to Nikonov’s door. But something didn’t seem quite right, he said, and he began to think that maybe it was a scheme to obtain his checking account number. The girl had showed him a letter with the name of the organization – which he said he had never heard of – and her name, so after he firmly refused to buy any subscriptions, he said, he went online.
“I didn’t know what she was doing – if there were people exploiting her, if this company was using her – but it occurred to me to check her name on the Web,” he said.
When he found her picture and her name on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Web site, he did as instructed by the site and called Denver police.
“They weren’t very helpful, but they did tell me to call the local authorities,” he said. “It proved to be good advice; our great Morgan Hill Police Department worked very expediently to track her down.”
But meanwhile, the group arrived at the police station, apparently trying to help Amerson, who was arrested by police in the neighborhood where he struck the man.
At about the same time the sales force showed up at the station, Nikonov was calling MHPD with the information from the NCMEC Web site.
The girl did not try to hide her identity, Swing said. Though it was not clear why she left home, she had joined the group willingly.
Amerson was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The group’s supervisor, Michael Lindsey, who had “picked up” the girl in Colorado, Swing said, was arrested on suspicion of concealing a child from the lawful custodians and suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
The two other men involved, Casey Holloway, 24, of Chicago, and Jonathan Dickinson, 20, of Washington, D.C., were cited and released on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The teen, whose name was withheld because she’s a minor, was taken to the children’s shelter once her family was notified; there was no evidence of any sexual contact or drug use involving the girl, Swing said.
Nikonov said he was pleased to learn that the girl’s family was “elated” to hear the girl was found unharmed. He said he was glad to be able to help, and he said he would urge Morgan Hill residents to “get involved, just don’t let strangers go through Morgan Hill without finding out what they’re doing.”
The MHPD encourages residents to report door-to-door solicitors who do not have city licenses.
None of the magazine salespeople in the group had a valid city business license.
