An emergency alert that lit up highway signs and phones across much of California ended the way officials had hoped: with a baby found safe.
A statewide alert
The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert early Wednesday after a 3-month-old boy was reported taken from Hayward, in the East Bay, ABC7 reported. Hayward police said the case stemmed from a court-ordered custody arrangement, and the alert — which named a white Mazda SUV — spread across several counties, from the Bay Area down to Los Angeles.
Found safe in Westwood
Wednesday afternoon, the vehicle was located in a parking lot on Wilshire Boulevard in the Westwood area of West Los Angeles, and the infant and a woman were found a short time later, the CHP said. Officials confirmed the baby was safe, and Hayward police said they were working to reunite him with his father, NBC Los Angeles reported.
A woman in custody
A woman described by police as the infant's mother was taken into custody by Hayward police, according to NBC Los Angeles. No charges had been announced by the time the alert was canceled, and she is presumed innocent. The Herald is not naming the woman or the child.
Authorities credited coordination between agencies across Northern and Southern California for the quick resolution, and said the child's safety had been the priority throughout.
