SACRAMENTO, CA - The latest Amber Alert catches the eye of many drivers thanks to highway signs and high tech digital billboards.

Exactly how helpful have amber alerts been though since 2002 when it was first activated?

"We've been tremendously successful. We've had 175 activations and recovered 213 children," Assistant Chief of the California Highway Patrol Ike Tani said.

Authorities also caught more than 100 suspects.

During the past three years, 24 Amber Alerts were sent out statewide each year, even more kids are found. In many cases, authorities catch the suspects.

The California Highway Patrol said it's been a great service, but not perfect. In fact, some people question why the CHP doesn't issue Amber Alerts sooner.

"Normally, that has to do with investigating agency, the investigating agency has to put the criteria together to make that determination," Tani said.

On Jan.13 the Auburn Enterprise Rent-A-Car office was robbed.  The suspect exposed a knife and demanded cash.  The rental car employee complied, and the suspect fled.

The suspect is described as a black male adult in his late teens or early twenties.  He’s approximately 5’7” tall with a slim build, clean shaven and short hair.  Coincidentally the employee recognized the suspect as the companion of a woman who had rented a car months earlier and not returned that car.

That customer was identified as Jeanie Sutkowski.  Hours after the robbery the Auburn police were able to locate and arrest Sutkowski for auto theft and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The Auburn Police Department is actively investigating the robbery.  If you have any information regarding this robbery, you are urged to contact the Investigation Division at (530) 823-4237.