(Update: Canceled) Authorities continuing search for AMBER ALERT victim, suspect

Update 10:30 a.m.: AMBER ALERT canceled, suspect in custody

SOLON — As the search for a Solon girl continued late into Saturday night, authorities had a message for her stepfather, the girl's alleged abductor.

'To Mr. Johns, if he's listening to this, we do ask him to reach out to us,' said Johnson County Sheriff Capt. Gary Kramer, referring to Kenneth Eugene Johns. 'We want to end this peacefully.'

The sheriff's office and the Iowa Department of Public Safety issued an AMBER ALERT for 10-year-old Brianna Christine Elise Crane, of Solon, at 2:30 Saturday afternoon. As of a 9:30 p.m. news conference at the sheriff's office, Brianna and Johns were still missing.

Brianna is white, 4 feet tall, 85 pounds, with blondish-brown hair and hazel eyes. Police said she was last seen wearing a plaid coat with a furry hood, blue jeans and black high tops. She is hearing impaired, authorities said.

Authorities, who searched two locations in Johnson County for Johns, said the convicted felon is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Johns is white, 6 feet tall, 210 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is clean shaven and was last seen wearing a red hooded sweat shirt, black hat, bluejeans and gray shoes.

'We do believe he is armed and dangerous; that could be a risk to our public or officers or both,' said DPS spokesman Alex Murphy. 'We're trying to play it safe.'

Johns is believed to be driving a gray 2014 Ford Focus, according to the state AMBER ALERT website. It did not list a specific license plate. That contradicts earlier information which did provide a plate. Authorities said they removed the license plate number that was first provided because they suspected Johns changed plates.

Based on interviews, investigators believe Johns is in southeast Iowa as of Saturday night.

Law enforcement did not share details of the girl's alleged abduction. However, Kramer did say the sheriff's office responded to a domestic abuse call in Solon involving the either Johns, Brianna or the girl's mother at 4:43 a.m. Saturday. Kramer said information gathered during that investigation led authorities to later issue the AMBER ALERT.

Kramer said he could not share additional details Saturday evening.

'It's a very active investigation,' he said.

The KCRG-TV9/Gazette newsroom received a phone call at around 5:30 p.m. from a man claiming to be Kenneth Johns. He provided personal details which law enforcement said matched those belonging to Johns. He said he took Crane to protect her.

'I've done nothing wrong but love my child. I love my child. I love everything about her. She's my daughter,' Johns said. 'The whole plan is to have her returned. This was not a planned out action.'

Johns also disputed that he was armed and dangerous.

Law enforcement searched two locations in Johnson County connected with the case: one in Coralville and another in Iowa City. Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford said the home checked by his officers was where Johns was believed to have stayed at one time and a vehicle matching the description of what Johns is driving was seen in the area. Bedford said the car turned out to belong to someone else and Johns was not found at that location.

Police in Iowa City followed up with an acquaintance of Johns', but he was not found there either. Authorities said they had no specific reason to suspect Johns was in Iowa City.

Authorities said they do not know if Johns has made any threats.

According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Johns was paroled on Dec. 9, 2013. In 2006, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for controlled substance violation, assault while participating in a felony and other charges. That case was in Polk County, as was a 2000 conviction for interference with official acts causing serious injury.

Murphy said Johns is believed to live in the Johnson County area, possibly Coralville.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are all involved in the effort to locate Johns.

Anyone with information on Johns' whereabouts or who think they see him or Brianna are asked to call 911 immediately.