Girl Found Safe In Palmdale After Amber Alert Issued
PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — A man was arrested in Palmdale after an Amber Alert was issued in relation to a 13-month old girl who was abducted from a Motel 6 in Palmdale.
Sheriff's deputies say the child, Penelope Rodriguez, was taken at 3 a.m. from the motel, located at 402 West Palmdale Blvd., near the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway.
Rodriguez was found by herself in a shed, still sitting in a car seat. She was safe, and was being treated at the hospital for symptoms of exposure. Rodriguez' mother had contacted authorities to report the kidnapping, saying she had been sexually assaulted and left in the desert.
She was in a yellow sleeper jumpsuit and was last seen being driven away in a brown BMW 330I with California license plates 7EVA549, according to California Highway Patrol.
"A 13-month-old female was located, left unattended for an unknown amount of time," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Martin Rodriguez said. "The child has since been transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment for symptoms of exposure."
CHP reported the vehicle had been recovered around 1p.m.
Officers were simultaneously working an "Amber Alert Incident" at the interchange of the Harbor (110) and Redondo Beach (91) freeways near Torrance.
The suspect was originally identified as Jonathan Holmes, 38, reported City News Service. Holmes, along with another male suspect, was taken into custody, but he was later cleared.
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