Kenneth White. An Amber Alert has been issued after White was abducted from his Albany County home on Dec. 18.

BERNE, N.Y. -- A 19-year-old woman has been charged with murder in the death of 5-year-old Kenneth White.

Tiffany VanAlstyne has been charged with second-degree murder. White died from asphyxiation due to strangulation. There was also evidence of blunt force trauma to the head, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said.

Apple announced the charges at a press conference Friday afternoon. White's body was found in a culvert about 40 yards across the road from the Thatcher Park Road where VanAlstyne, White and his two siblings lived. His body was found thrown over a guardrail and intentionally covered in snow, Apple said.

White was strangled inside the home and then dumped outside, Apple said.

"He was basically thrown away like a piece of trash," Apple said.

Both Tiffany and her mother Brenda VanAlstyne, White's aunt and legal guardian since September, called 911, Apple said. Brenda and Ken VanAlstyne were White's legal guardians.

When Tiffany VanAlstyne called 911, she reported that two masked men broke into the home, abducted White and drove away in a pickup truck, prompting an Amber Alert. The Amber Alert was canceled at 11:46 p.m. Thursday.

Tiffany VanAlstyne would often care for the three children, Apple said. The three children, a 4-year-old girl and White's 5-year-old twin sister, were out of school that day because of a doctor's appointment earlier that morning, Apple announced. Tiffany VanAlstyne was the only adult in the home at the time, Apple said.

After the doctor's appointment and a stop at Price Chopper to fill a prescription, the children and Tiffany VanAlstyne were dropped off at the home around 12:40 p.m., Apple said. The 911 call came 40 minutes later.

Apple did not comment on a motive. The other children are currently in Child Protective Services custody, Apple said.

The investigation into White's death remains open and additional charges are possible, Albany County District Attorney David Soares announced.

VanAlstyne was arraigned in Knox Town Court and sent to the Albany County jail without bail. During the arraignment, Brenda VanAlstyne said her daughter suffers from bi-polar disorder, the Times Union in Albany reported.

"Certain cases stick with you your entire career and this is one of those cases," Apple said. "I've got 3 young boys, I'm going to go home and hug them."

Tiffany VanAlstyne, 19, now charged with 2nd degree murder in connection with death of Kenneth White, 5, of Berne. pic.twitter.com/FhLVQnOO1t — WNYT NewsChannel 13 (@WNYT) December 19, 2014

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