Abducted Monterey County Children Found, Police Searching For Father
PRUNEDALE, Monterey County (CBS SF) - Two young children abducted in Monterey County Friday were found safe in Fresno and returned to their mother Friday night. However, the suspect Marquis Edwards remains at large, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued following the abduction, alerting law enforcement to be on the lookout for the children, according to state emergency officials.
Onika Edwards, a 6-month-old girl, and Enrique Joseph, 6, were allegedly taken from the Prunedale area of Monterey County at 11:52 a.m. by Onika's father, Marquis Edwards, 21, of Fresno, emergency officials said.
Edwards pulled Onika's mother out of a car during a domestic dispute at the Valero gas station at 2347 San Miguel Canyon Road and then drove off with the two children, a Monterey County sheriff's spokeswoman said.
Edwards and the woman are Onika's parents, but Enrique is not Edward's son, sheriff's spokeswoman Cmdr. Lisa Nash said.
Edwards was last seen driving a white Buick Century with a California license plate No. 4RKD823 and was believed to be headed toward Fresno, according to authorities.
Fresno police found the children safe around 9 p.m. tonight, and police also recovered the suspect vehicle. Edwards remains at large, sheriff's officials said.
He is described as a black man who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs about 250 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans and has a tattoo on his upper right arm that says "ANT DOG," authorities said.
Anyone who sees Edwards is asked to call the Monterey County Sheriff's Office at (831) 755-3718.
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