Police in Southern California have located two missing children who were reportedly abducted by their mother in Utah.
The children, ages 7 and 11, were reported missing over a week ago after investigators with the Payson Police Department in Utah determined their mother had violated a court-ordered custody agreement and took the children out of state without permission.
Payson police later identified a vehicle that was connected to the mother.
Using data from an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology, Payson officers spotted the vehicle entering Hermosa Beach, California and notified Hermosa Beach police on Oct. 15.
Officers began a community-wide search for the woman and her children.
Later that day, during a routine patrol around 2 a.m., Hermosa Beach officers spotted the woman’s vehicle parked in a residential neighborhood. They discovered the woman and her children had been living inside the car, along with two cats and a dog.
Officers safely removed the two children and arrested the woman who was wanted on an active felony warrant for parental kidnapping of minors.
Paramedics evaluated the children and confirmed they were in good health. They were reunited with their father later that day.
“When we learned of this case, we immediately felt the urgency and the seriousness of this matter,” said Hermosa Beach Police Chief Landon Phillips. “We cannot imagine how it must have felt for the children, their father and other family, and we empathize with how hard it must have been for them. Through close coordination with the Payson Police Department and the effective use of ALPR technology, our officers were able to bring this case to a swift and successful resolution.”
“Our department deeply values the teamwork and support demonstrated by our colleagues in Hermosa Beach,” said Brad Bishop, Chief of the Payson City Police Department. “This case is a reminder of what can be accomplished when agencies work together with shared purpose and determination.”
No further details, including the woman’s identity, were released as the case remains under investigation.
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