Since the ATL came out of a district in North Dakota, I did a specific court record checkm both criminal and family courts, there. No open charges, a small fine for a marijuana possession infraction (less than ½ oz) from 2023 and a couple of minor speeding tickets.
Case No. 08-2023-CR-00268
State of ND v. Heather Marie Caras
Date Filed:
01/30/2023 Location: -- Burleigh County
Defendant Caras, Heather Marie Female DOB: 1985 Linton, ND 58552
Charges: Caras, Heather Marie Citation Statute Level Date
1.
Poss of CS-Marijuana-Less than 1/2 oz 1050813666 19-03.1-23(7)(a)
Infraction 01/23/2023
Plea 1. Poss of CS-Marijuana-Less than 1/2 oz
Guilty 02/28/2023
Criminal Judgment Fine/State $50.00
(paid, balance 00 - gg)
Two speeding tickets: Case No. 08-2022-TR-06584 and 08-2023-TR-02845
BUT there was recently a guardianship case for Heather for an incapacitated person
Case No. 15-2024-PR-00006
In the Matter of the Guardianship of Ethan A. Wagoner
Case Type: Guardianship of an Incapacitated Person
Date Filed: 02/23/2024
Location: -- Emmons County
Judicial Officer: (redacted for privacy)
Party Information
Attorneys
Guardian Caras, Heather Female
DOB: 1985 (Attorney name redacted for privacy) Retained Linton, ND 58552
Petitioner Caras, Heather Female
DOB: 1985 (attorney name redacted for privacy) Retained Linton, ND 58552
Ward Wagoner, Ethan A. Male DOB: 2006 Linton, ND 58552
Events & Orders of the Court
OTHER EVENTS AND HEARINGS
(only initial entry listed, the rest can be found at the link - gg).
02/23/2024 Petition Index # 1
Petition for Appointment of a Guardian
There's not enough info in the case summary to determine if she was petitioning FOR guardianship (not sure why she would have to do that unless she wasn't the biological or custodial mother) OR she was already the guardian and petitioning to something related to that.
Maybe one of you who has a background in family law can make sense of the events and orders of the courts notes. https://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=5291085
As to the ATL:
Sometimes an ATL is simply for a missing person, but typically I’ve seen it as an attempt by Law Enforcement to locate someone with a bench warrant for arrest (fugitive) or when someone is wanted for a crime. An attempt to locate is sometimes considered an instruction from a police officer to other police officer to arrest someone on sight (for the cases involving active warrant).
In an attempt to locate the police may instruct other officers to arrest someone if they see them if only to take a statement regarding the crime in question (hearing that persons side of the story, not uncommon in domestic cases where one party is saying one thing and the truth is different though I don’t think Heather’s is a domestic case outside of the concern for her children because as the ATL stated “Heather may have taken steps to avoid detection or being located”.)
IF the person is indeed considered a “fugitive” NOT verified in this case at this time, the FBI may enter the name and identifying information of a fugitive into the National Crime Information Center and may also place a "stop" on the fugitive's fingerprint
Note: The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a computerized database maintained by the FBI that allows access to criminal records and missing person information across all law enforcement agencies in the United States, to enable a nationwide search for the person in question - gg
