Who is Violet Coultas? Turquoise Alert issued for 6-year-old Hawaiian girl

Arizona authorities issued a Turquoise Alert for 6-year-old Violet Coultas, last seen at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport with her non-custodial mother, Sarah Coultas

The Arizona Department of Public Safety have issued a Turquoise Alert for a 6-year-old girl named Violet Coultas, who was last seen at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with her non-custodial mother, Sarah Coultas.

Violet is described as a white girl, 3 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 43 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a white shirt and pink jacket. (Hawaiʻi Police Department, X/Candice Echternacht , Skidi band)

Officials believe she may have been taken in violation of a court order.

The alert went out Wednesday night, urging the public to keep an eye out for Violet, who was last spotted around 10 p.m. on July 12 at the airport. She had been travelling with her mother, who does not have legal custody.

“Public Safety Alert This is the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A Turquoise Alert has been issued for Arizona,” the alert every Arizona native receiving read. “Contact 911 with any information or sighting.”

Arizona authorities described Violet was “last seen with non-custodial mother Sarah Coultas (48-year-old white female, 5 feet 11 inches, 160 pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes).”

Violet Coultas, Violet’s mother, is wanted for questioning by the Hawaii Police Department in connection with a custodial interference investigation, according to Hawaii News Now, a sister station of Arizona’s Family.

However, by 1 a.m. on Thursday, Cottonwood Police say they found Violet at Sarah's shelter. “The child was found safe, asleep and undisturbed, and remained in the care of police and shelter staff until the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) arrived and took custody,” they said.

What is a Turquoise Alert?

The Turquoise Alert is Arizona’s newest emergency notification system, created to help locate missing people who may be in danger but don’t fit the criteria for an Amber or Silver Alert.

To issue a Turquoise Alert, law enforcement must meet some conditions. First, all local resources must have already been exhausted in trying to locate the person.

Secondly, the disappearance must involve some level of unexplained or suspicious behaviour, such as a court-ordered custody violation.

Most importantly, there must be a credible belief that the missing person is at risk, whether due to their health, age, or who they’re with.

Officials must also believe that sharing the case with the public could help bring the person home safely.