Two children, ages 1 and 4, were found safe in Portland following their abduction from Olympia, leading to the arrest of their father, authorities confirmed. The Olympia Police Department had issued an Amber Alert Saturday, after the 24-year-old father, identified as Andrew Womack-Eady, absconded with the two girls during a supervised visit at the Capital Mall, failing to make the mandatory 30-minute check-in phone call, KIRO 7 reported.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) quickly disseminated the Amber Alert which led to a cross-jurisdictional search, the stolen vehicle, a white 2007 Ford Crown Victoria belonging to a minister with whom Womack-Eady had worked the previous evening in Shelton, was spotted by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) in the vicinity of Northwest 23rd Avenue and Thurman Street, this was in line with information suggesting Womack-Eady might be in the Portland area and it was there that the authorities located the missing girls and their father, according to details provided by KOMO News.
The reunion of the children with their family is underway, with officials coordinating the details to ensure the girls are returned home safely. Womack-Eady, who is now in custody, was also facing felony warrants out of Washington State, adding to his legal woes. The PPB has detailed that officers found Womack-Eady and the children not long after identifying the vehicle, which brought the tense search to a close and led to the cancellation of the Amber Alert, as KGW News reported.
Local communities were on high alert during the timeframe of the Amber Alert, for the urgency in such cases cannot be overstated as it underscores the deep-seated vulnerabilities of moments.
