DENVER — A 5-year-old Westminster girl who was abducted by her non-custodial mother was found safe during a traffic stop Saturday night in Ohio, according to Westminster Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP).
Ohio troopers were alerted to a possible child abduction out of Colorado about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a OSHP press release.
The troopers spotted a black 2017 Cadillac CTS that matched the description they were given. They stopped the vehicle on the Ohio Turnpike in Jefferson Township, in Williams County, the release says.
The girl was in the vehicle, along with the non-custodial mother, who was taken into custody. The mother, identified as Christine Mascarenas, 22, was booked into the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, OSHP said.
The girl was released to Williams County Child Services, the release says.
The girl's father has full custody, according to a spokesman for the Westminster Police Department (WPD).
The girl had gone on Dec. 9 to spend a few days with a grandparent on her mother's side. The father and Mascarenas' parents have a good relationship, the spokesman said.
At some point after that, the girl was dropped off with Mascarenas, he said. The girl's father contacted WPD on Saturday morning, when he saw on social media that Mascarenas might have taken the girl out of state, the spokesperson said.
It was unclear on Sunday where Mascarenas would face charges, the spokesperson said. It could be in Ohio or in Adams County, or she could face federal charges.
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