Amber Alert canceled, 5-year-old from Charlottesville found safe

UPDATE: 5-year-old Bricen Kent Mwanawabene was found safe and Kerlie Johnson Gage is in custody, police say.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WAVY) — Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 5-year-old boy who’s believed to be in extreme danger after he was taken from a residence in Charlottesville Sunday.

Virginia State Police and the Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse issued the Amber Alert Monday night for 5-year-old Bricen Kent Mwanawabene. Bricen was last seen at 1528 Cherry Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities believe he was taken by Kerlie Johnson Gage.

Bricen is 5 years old, Black and has black hair and brown eyes. He is 3 feet tall and weighs 45 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, a blue puff coat, blue stocking cap and black-and-green light-up shoes.

Gage is a 43-year-old Black woman with black hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds. Her clothing description is unknown.

Gage was last seen driving a red 1997 Honda CRV with a Virginia license plate UMM-2229.

Those who have seen Bricen or Gage should call 911.