'The System Failed This Family': Nalani Johnson's Family Pushes To Change Amber Alert Laws In Pa.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA)-- Nalani Johnson's grandmother Taji Walsh is pushing for the guidelines to change when it comes to putting out an amber alert. She reached out to Congressman Mike Doyle for help. She said every state sets its own guidelines, but each state can also adjust them.

"The system failed this family," said Congressman Mike Doyle.

It's Congressman Mike Doyle's mission to prevent the system from failing a family again.

"I have a two-year-old granddaughter. I can't imagine losing her," said Doyle.

Two-year-old Nalani Johnson was abducted in Penn Hills at the end of August and found dead several days later in Pine Ridge Park in Indiana County. An amber alert was put out, but the attorney representing Nalani's grandmother says not soon enough.

"The first three hours are critical. We had a father with a witness reporting to a police officer that the child was taken by someone essentially a stranger or loosely associated. There was an opportunity to bring about change for Nalani that didn't happen," said attorney Eric Chaffin.

Eric Chaffin said if children aren't rescued in the first three hours of abduction, 76 percent of them end up dying or tragically abused. Congressman Doyle said he's already reached out to other local politicians in hopes to get the ball rolling.

"I contacted Senator Costa. We have reached out to representative DeLuca's office. both have expressed a willingness to take a look at the guidelines in Pennsylvania to see how they can be better," said Doyle. "The family made it quite clear to me that they don't want this to happen to another child and that seems to be their main motivation here."

So what's next? Doyle said he has a meeting with the Department of Justice on Tuesday. He said he will keep Nalani's grandmother in the loop and do all he can to make this change happen.

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