Amber Alert Canceled; 3 Kids Found Safe

An Amber Alert has been canceled for three Milwaukee children who disappeared after last being seen Sunday afternoon with their mother.

A Wisconsin State Patrol dispatcher said 34-year-old Lavatta Smith was pulled over Monday afternoon after another driver recognized her vehicle and license plate number from the Amber Alert.

The dispatcher said Smith was arrested in Kenosha County.  The children, who police believed were in danger, were found safe and were taken into police custody.

Authorities issued the alert Monday in Wisconsin and Illinois after Smith disappeared with her three kids, a 9-year-old son and two daughters ages 7 years and 4 years old.

Police said the four were discovered missing during a fire investigation at their Milwaukee home on Sunday night. The fire department told WISN-TV a crew responded to the family's house for a report of a garage fire.

"It is a suspicious fire and its proximity to the house made us fear for the safety of the family, which is why we forced entry last night," said Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn.

Flynn said the family home was "uninhabitable," without a single scrap of food or clothing.  He said family members suggest Smith has mental-health issues.

Smith's mother said her daughter's long-time live-in boyfriend broke up with her over the weekend.