03-15-2011, 07:34 AM
does not explain why she took them.
TimesDaily
A nationwide search for a babysitter who allegedly abducted two Franklin County children under her care and left the state ended just before 10:30 p.m. Monday when the woman was located in Indiana.
Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said Teresa Lynn McGee, 30, Wallace Street, Russellville, was taken into custody by FBI and Indiana authorities. The children are in protective custody. They were not harmed.
Arrest warrants charging McGee with first-degree kidnapping were issued Monday afternoon in Franklin County after authorities learned she reportedly took two brothers, ages 5 and 6, without their father's permission.
A statewide missing child alert was issued for Angel Everado Montoya, 6, and his brother, Christian Santos Montoya, 5.
Investigators Lt. Scotty Lowery said McGee reportedly left the state with the boys Friday.
“They haven't been seen by their father since,” Lowery said.
Investigators said McGee has been babysitting the boys for about six months.
Hargett said police were notified Monday after McGee called West Elementary School in Russellville in an attempt to withdraw the children from school. He added investigators determined the call was made from Indianapolis, about 430 miles from the city.
“We were contacted by the school after school officials got the phone call from McGee,” Hargett said. “We automatically called the boys' father and found out McGee had taken them. We quickly started the investigation.”
Investigators said it appears the children's father repeatedly called McGee throughout the weekend trying to get her to return the boys to him, but he never made contact with her.
Hargett said the investigation revealed the boys did not attend school at all last week.
He said the father is a single dad and McGee was babysitting the children at their Pierce Street residence while the dad worked.
“For the last few weeks, the boys were staying with McGee at her residence while the dad was working on their house, trying to improve the living conditions and make it safer for them,” Lowery said. “He went to McGee's house every afternoon last week to see the boys and thought they had been going to school.”