NAMPA, Idaho — Police in Arizona have arrested a Caldwell man for taking his children from their home in an attempt to take them to Mexico.
The mother of the children alerted Nampa Police at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday that 25-year-old Jose Hernandez had taken her children - aged 5, 3, and 18 months - out of Idaho.
The woman told police that Hernandez had threatened to take the children to Mexico so she would not see them again.
The department's Child Abduction Response Team (CART) began investigating and received a tip at about 3 p.m. that Hernandez was in the Phoenix area. An AMBER Alert was sent out in Arizona with a description of the vehicle.
Four hours later, the Arizona Highway Patrol spotted the vehicle on U.S. 93 and converged on it near Wikieup, Arizona. All three children were inside the vehicle and are safe.
Hernandez was arrested and charged with felony custodial interference. The suspect and his children were less than five hours from Mexico when they were found.
Nampa Police Sgt. Brian Jones says the arrest is proof that AMBER Alerts work.
“Just happy the kids were safe and I can't praise the Arizona agency enough with how helpful they were and how quick they were able to find the suspect and the kids,” said Sgt. Jones.
The children are currently in the care of Arizona Child Services, but will soon be reunited with their mom in Nampa.
Hernandez is currently being held without bond in Arizona.