By Nebraska State Patrol
OMAHA, Neb. — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have rescued the subject of an AMBER Alert from Wisconsin and arrested the person sought in connection with the abduction.
Saturday afternoon, NSP received information that a vehicle associated with an AMBER Alert, which had been issued in Wisconsin for 8-year-old Irene Lentz, was believed to be driving in Nebraska. Troopers in eastern Nebraska were able to locate the suspect vehicle as it was traveling westbound on Interstate 80, west of Gretna. The vehicle, a Buick Terraza, exited I-80 at the Greenwood interchange, at mile marker 420 and turned northbound onto Highway 63.
Troopers performed a traffic stop on the vehicle and discovered that the driver was the suspect wanted in connection with the AMBER Alert. Irene Lentz and her mother, Betty Lentz, were also in the vehicle. The driver, Joseph Nicpon, 44-years-old, was arrested without incident and has been lodged in the Cass County Jail. Irene Lentz was taken into protective custody. Betty Lentz was taken into custody for questioning by authorities from Wisconsin.
The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting the Wautoma (WI) Police Department in this investigation.