Idaho man who allegedly kidnapped his 3 children arrested in Arizona
Jan 17, 2019, 3:14 PM
(Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
(Arizona Department of Public Safety Photo)
PHOENIX — Law enforcement officials in Arizona arrested an Idaho man Wednesday who allegedly kidnapped his three children and threatened to take them to Mexico.
Idaho State Police notified the Arizona Department of Public Safety about the kidnapping and told troopers that Jose Hernandez Jr., 25, and his kids were in Arizona, according to a DPS press release.
Hernandez had shared custody of the children but told their mother he was going to take them out of the country so she’d never see them again, according to a press release from the Nampa Police Department in Idaho.
An Amber Alert was issued for the children after the department found out about the threat.
Caldwell man arrested in Arizona after Amber Alert issued. Read the press release here: https://t.co/I8aDyA1zqj pic.twitter.com/tthdiI7gw8
— Nampa PD (@NampaPolice1) January 17, 2019
DPS said troopers found the man driving northbound on U.S. Route 93 near Wikieup and arrested him around 4:30 p.m.
The children (ages 18 months, 3 years and 5 years) and an 18-year-old woman were also in the vehicle.
The children were flown by helicopter to a Kingman hospital and found to be unharmed, then turned over to the Arizona Department of Child Services.
The woman was not considered a suspect and was released.
Hernandez was booked into Mohave County Jail on a felony warrant for child custody interference, and DPS was working with Idaho police to extradite him back to his home state.
“We can’t thank Arizona troopers enough. Because of their assistance, the children were found safe and this case has a positive ending,” Nampa Police Sgt. Brian Jones said.
