October 09, 2026

AMBER ALERT CANCELED: 3-Year-Old Joshua Ovalles Found Safe, Reunited With Dad

By The Night Desk

Headline card by The Night Desk

Found safe

BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Amber Alert is over, and it ended the way every parent prays it does: 3-year-old Joshua E. Ovalles has been found safe and reunited with his father after a multi-agency search across Oregon's Washington and Clackamas counties.

Joshua was located in Lake Oswego after his mother, Mari Martinez, dropped him off at the home of a trusted acquaintance and fled the scene. A Lake Oswego detective tracked Martinez down, and she was taken into custody without further incident.

How it started

The search began October 7, 2026, after Martinez absconded with the toddler following a Washington County judge's ruling granting temporary custody to Joshua's father. Court documents noted the judge determined Joshua was in "immediate danger" while in his mother's unsupervised care.

Authorities had been looking for a white 2022 Mercedes GLB SUV with Oregon license plate MAMIII; the vehicle was later found in the original Beaverton area. At one point the Washington State Patrol incorrectly announced Joshua had been found, before correcting itself — the boy was still missing.

The charges

Martinez is currently held in Beaverton police custody and faces charges of custodial interference and kidnapping.

The Beaverton Police Department credited the Lake Oswego Police Department, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, and community members who shared the alert — and said they were most grateful that Joshua was found safe and back in his father's arms.

A custody order exists for a reason. The Night Desk will follow this case as charges move forward.

Source: KXL — read the original report