Update: Irene has been found safe in Nebraska, according to police. Joseph A. Nicpon Jr. is in custody.
An AMBER Alert has been issued for 8-year-old Irene J. Lentz, who is missing from Wautoma, Wisconsin, and believed to be in danger.
The Wautoma Police Department says Irene may be in the company of her mother, 34-year-old Betty J. Lentz, and 44-year-old Joseph A. Nicpon Jr. The three were last seen traveling westbound on Interstate 90 in Monroe County, near Sparta, at 12:55 p.m. on April 3, 2026.
Authorities say they may be traveling in a blue 2005 Buick Terreza van with Wisconsin license plate BCU3028.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Nicpon is a sex offender on supervised release who removed his GPS tracking bracelet in Adams County on April 3. Nicpon was released from prison on March 31, 2026, after facing charges of incest with a child and sexual assault. He is legally prohibited from having contact with Irene and Betty.
Wautoma Police learned Betty took Irene out of the area to meet with Nicpon. Investigators received additional information indicating the three may have fled the state. Waushara County Child Protective Services subsequently filed a missing and endangered persons report for Irene, prompting the AMBER Alert.
Irene is described as a white female with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Betty is described as a white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall and 190 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Nicpon is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is asked to contact the Wautoma Police Department at 920-787-3321. For emergencies, call 911.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Wautoma Police Department and the Adams County Sheriff’s Department. They are being assisted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wild Rose Police Department, Waushara County Dispatch, Waushara Child Protective Services, and the Sauk County Sheriff.
