A Vallejo man identified as Damien Castaneda, 34, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping his three sons, according to local authorities. Castaneda is now in custody, and his children, aged 4, 5, and 7, were recovered safely as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
On Monday, July 17, 2023, Castaneda allegedly kidnapped his sons at around 7:45 p.m. from Rollingwood Drive at Georgia Street in Vallejo and fled in a white Mustang convertible. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued an Amber Alert late Tuesday night and lifted it early Wednesday morning after the children were found, according to KTVU.
The Amber Alert was deactivated at approximately 4 a.m. Wednesday, following an overnight search where the children were safely located. The exact circumstances of the arrest and the discovery of the children have not been disclosed by the authorities, as Vallejo Police Department did not return calls seeking more information.
Before being located, the boys were reportedly last seen in a white 2011 Ford Mustang convertible, with California license plates 7ZKL946, when their father drove away with them. The CHP was actively involved in the search for both Castaneda and his children since the Amber Alert was issued on Tuesday night.
KRON4 also mentioned the ages of the abducted children: Manuel, aged 7, Miguel, aged 5, and Francisco, aged 4.
