On Feb. 4, 2026, an Oregon mother stood in Butte County Superior Court and admitted to a felony child-abduction charge tied to a May 2025 plan that prosecutors say pulled her two sons away from their father in Chico. The defendant, identified in court as 43-year-old Erin Rae of Klamath Falls, has been held without bail since her June 2025 arrest. Her sentencing is set for March 4, 2026, and her attorney has asked the judge to review bail before then at a Feb. 18, 2026, hearing.
Plea and what prosecutors say is at stake
According to a press release from the Butte County District Attorney's Office, Rae pleaded guilty to a felony child-abduction count and now faces a potential sentence of up to four years in county jail. Prosecutors characterize the case as the criminal fallout of a years-long custody dispute and say the plea resolves their office’s criminal filing connected to the May incident.
How authorities say the abduction unfolded
Prosecutors and investigative materials describe a late-May plan in which the boys slipped out of their Chico home, contacted a friend who then reached out to Rae, and were picked up and driven toward Oregon in a borrowed motorhome. Highway patrol units eventually found the motorhome broken down at a Sacramento-area Costco, and the children were recovered safely. An alleged accomplice was arrested at the scene and later released on bond, as reported by Action News Now.
How the law treats parental abduction
Under California law, Penal Code section 278 lets prosecutors charge parental child abduction as either a misdemeanor or a felony. A felony conviction can bring a custodial sentence of up to four years. At sentencing, judges weigh factors such as whether the child was harmed, taken across state lines, or not returned promptly - issues prosecutors are expected to walk through at the March hearing. California Penal Code §278
What’s next in court
Rae remains scheduled for sentencing on March 4, 2026. Her attorney’s Feb. 18 request asks the court to consider releasing her on bail or on her own recognizance before that date. Her alleged accomplice, Jeanette Turner of Antioch, is still charged in the case and is set for trial on March 16, 2026. Materials from the District Attorney note that earlier bids to release Rae were rejected over concerns she posed an abduction risk to the children.
The case highlights how drawn-out custody battles can veer into criminal court when judges and prosecutors conclude a parent has willfully violated orders and put children in danger. For the DA’s full statement and case timeline, see the Butte County District Attorney’s Feb. 5, 2026 press release: Butte County District Attorney's Office.
