New West police are investigating after a nine-year-old girl was taken during a custody visit Sunday, violating a court order.
New West resident Makayla Estrada-Weber was reported missing to the New Westminster Police Department on Sunday, Jan. 22 after a custody visit with her mother.
On Monday, the police department issued a public plea for information on Makayla’s whereabouts after investigators determined she and her mother had crossed into Washington State, noted a press release from police.
An Amber Alert was activated in Washington, and shortly before 6 p.m. investigators announced that both Makayla and her mother had been found by police in Bellingham.
Both were in good health, acting Sgt. Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the New Westminster Police Department, told the Record.
The pair were returned to Canada later that evening. Makayla is now with her guardian in New Westminster, Scott said.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the alleged abduction will continue. New Westminster detectives are looking into any possible crimes that were committed within its jurisdiction, while officers in Washington investigate further south of the border, Scott said.
No charges have been laid at this time.
