(AP) - Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for four young children after police say they were abducted in upstate New York by a couple who had lost custody of the kids.

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office activated the alert late Wednesday night after two girls and two boys ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years were abducted around 6 p.m. from a residence in the village of Monticello, in the Catskills 75 miles northwest of New York City.

Deputies say the children were taken by 27-year-old Tina Esquilin and 30-year-old Alfred Franklin Jr.

Officials say the couple has a violent history. Police say a court ordered the children removed from the couple's custody because of neglect and suspected drug activity.

The sheriff's office is expected to release more details later Wednesday morning.