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Amber Alert For Siblings Believed Kidnapped After Mom Murdered In San Diego

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A statewide Amber Alert was issued for a pair of siblings who law enforcement officials believed were kidnapped by a man who allegedly killed their mother and burned down his San Diego County home on Sunday night.

Authorities said Hannah Anderson, 16, and 8-year-old Ethan Anderson remained missing Monday evening, a day after their mother, 44-year-old Christina Anderson, was found dead.

Her body was discovered inside the burning home of 40-year-old James Lee DiMaggio in the unincorporated community of Boulevard, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Law enforcement officials believe DiMaggio kidnapped the children and said late Monday night that he was believed to be traveling to either Texas or Canada.

Sheriff's officials said DiMaggio and Anderson appear to have been in a close but platonic relationship. At the badly burned home where her body was found, officers also discovered the remains of a child, according to the sheriff's department.

Sheriff's officials have not said whether that child was either Hannah or Ethan.

DiMaggio is described as a white man with brown hair and eyes who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, according to the Amber Alert.

Hannah is described as a white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5 feet 7 inches tall and 115 pounds. Ethan is described as a white boy with sandy blonde hair who is 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 65 pounds, according to authorities.

DiMaggio is believed to be traveling with one or both children in a blue four-door Nissan Versa with California license plate number 6WCU986.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of DiMaggio or the children is urged to call 911 or the San Diego County Sheriff's Office at (858) 565-5200.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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