Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Blades, #209, is being praised for his quick action in recovering two children who were the subject of an Amber Alert out of San Antonio.
On April 1, 2025, Trooper Blades responded to a Communications Center broadcast about a possible sighting of a vehicle linked tothe Amber Alert.
Trooper Blades discovered the car in question while patrolling gas station parking lots along Interstate 35 near the QuikTrip on I-35 and Hefner Road.
Although the vehicle had not yet been identified as an active NCIC notification owing to the Amber Alert being issued only moments before, Blades was able to confirm its participation in the case.
When Trooper Blades approached the driver, who had walked across the parking lot, he met noncompliance. The trooper stopped the driver and did an additional investigation, revealing that the man had an active warrant for child abuse.
Furthermore, the suspect assaulted a Child Protective Services staffer before leaving Texas.
During the inquiry, Blades discovered an AR-15 rifle and a 9mm pistol in the vehicle. Blades discovered the two missing children inside a nearby parked vehicle that the suspect had been driving with.
Trooper Blades’ strong situational awareness and investigative skills resulted in the arrest of an armed man with a violent history, perhaps saving the lives of two young people. This successful recovery emphasizes the need for rapid and prompt action by law enforcement.
