State Police: Girl, 6, abducted by mother from Downingtown found safe; Amber Alert canceled
DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. - Authorities say a mother who abducted her 6-year-old daughter during a supervised meeting in Chester County was found by police in Virginia with the child hidden under blankets in the backseat.
Prosecutors say 37-year-old Vanessa Gutshall was arrested in Fairfax, Virginia more than 24-hours after she drove away with her 6-year-old daughter in her car during a supervised visit near East Ward Elementary School in Downingtown.
Gutshall, who investigators say is the child's biological mother, did not have custody rights to the child and was only permitted to see the child during supervised visits.
It's alleged that Gutshall fled the Oct. 25 meeting with the child in a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta and was later seen at Rivertowne Restaurant & Bar in nearby Wrightsville, Pennsylvania without her.
The Pennsylvania State Police issued a Missing Endangered Person Advisory for both Gutshall and the child on Tuesday night. It was later upgraded to an Amber Alert with police writing in a bulletin that the girl "could be a special risk of harm or injury."
An arrest warrant was issued for Gutshall during the Amber Alert. Authorities caught up to Gutshall in Fairfax County on Thursday morning when police pulled over the wanted Volkswagen Jetta when they noticed a stolen Virginia plate.
During the traffic stop, officers from the Fairfax County Police Department noticed the child hidden underneath blankets in the backseat. Police say the child "appeared unharmed" but she was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.
The Chester County District Attorney's Office has charged Gutshall with kidnapping of a minor, unlawful restraint of a minor, endangering the welfare of children, and related charges. Gutshall will be sent back to Chester County and the child will be reunited with her foster family.