An Amber Alert that shook the Austin community on Tuesday has been resolved with the safe recovery of a 50-day-old infant named Armani Woods. Austin police located the child after a citywide search, leading to the arrest of the mother, Kayla Washington, and a second individual, Avery Rider. CBS Austin reports that Washington had fled with her child upon learning that Child Protective Services (CPS) had issued a removal order.
The Missing Persons Unit quickly initiated an investigation after CPS reported the child as missing. Information from CPS and officers on the scene spurred the issuing of an Amber Alert, with Washington identified as a suspect in her son's disappearance. Rider was also suspected to be possibly aiding in the incident. The pair was apprehended near North Lamar Boulevard, as outlined by the Austin Police Department.
Once authorities detained Washington, she was found carrying her infant and was subsequently booked into Travis County Jail on charges of kidnapping, as well as an unrelated outstanding warrant. Rider, found in a nearby vehicle, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest. According to police, Woods appeared unharmed and was promptly evaluated by EMS before being released into CPS custody.
This incident marks the second time Washington has been implicated in a case relating to one of her children going missing. In an earlier report by The Austin American-Statesman, back in December 2022, her two-month-old daughter, Novah White, was also missing and later found after nearly a month. That time, concerns were raised about alleged drug use and domestic violence. In addition to these reports, records show that Washington experienced multiple run-ins with law enforcement throughout the year, including charges for criminal trespass and drug possession.
Washington has faced significant struggles, having been confirmed as unhoused and her address listed in official documents as "transient." Her intermittent encounters with the law further complicate her tumultuous history with CPS and the well-being of her children. With the infant now safe and under the guardianship of CPS, it remains to be seen how these recent events will unfold in regard to Washington's future and the ultimate placement of Armani Woods.
