PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — A Prescott Valley woman was arrested by California Highway Patrol and charged with kidnapping after being reported by her mother on Saturday afternoon.
The woman's mother contacted officers and reported that her daughter, Erica Chantle Lunsford, had taken her vehicle without permission along with her 5- and 10-year-old children around 12:45 p.m. Lunsford's mother is the custodial parent of the 10-year-old child, police said.
The Prescott Valley Police Department requested assistance from the CHP when they were alerted to the fact that Lunsford was likely headed for California, police said.
The CHP located and arrested Lunsford in Indio, California. The children and vehicle were safely recovered and Lunsford is awaiting extradition back to Arizona. She is charged with kidnapping and unlawful use of means of transportation.
