Amber Alert: No sign of missing girl; search area is North America

With Amber Alerts for 16-year-old Hannah Anderson now active in four states, authorities have all but conceded that the search for the missing teenager is wide open.

“Basically, the search area is the United States, Canada and Mexico,” said Lt. Glenn Giannantonio of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. “The search area is North America.”

Five days into the search for Hannah Anderson and her alleged abductor – 40-year-old family friend James Lee DiMaggio -- authorities were no closer to finding the pair despite numerous tips that have poured in to law enforcement agencies in multiple states.

DiMaggio is believed to have abducted the teenager Sunday after killing her mother and 8-year-old brother in Boulevard, a rural border town in eastern San Diego County, and setting his house on fire.

Amber Alerts remain active in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. But authorities said it was possible she might have been taken to Texas, or even Canada.

Boulevard is also about five miles north of the Mexican border, and the FBI was working with Mexican authorities to search for DiMaggio.

Complicating search efforts is the fact that DiMaggio is an avid outdoorsman, prompting authorities to expand their net to include campsites and other rural areas where he might be hiding.

DiMaggio may have also changed vehicles, ditching the blue Nissan Versa he was believed to be driving. Authorities warned the public to stay away from the vehicle, fearing he may have left it booby-trapped with explosives.

An arrest warrant for murder has been issued for DiMaggio, and a judge agreed to set bail at $1 million if he is arrested, San Diego County sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

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jason.wells@latimes.com

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