Amber Alert Canceled In CA, Child Believed To Be In Mexico

CALIFORNIA -- An Amber Alert that was issued in California over the weekend was canceled Monday with authorities believing the suspect and the child may be in Mexico.

Authorities issued an alert after 4-year-old Aranza Lopez was allegedly taken by her mother Esmeralda Lopez during a supervised visit in Vancouver, Wash. Lopez lost custody of her daughter a year ago before Aranza was placed into foster care, police said.

Vancouver Police said Lopez was spotted in California with her daughter and a teenage girl who had been with her at the mall. They were traveling in a Red Chevy Cobalt with the Washington license plate BLK1552.

By noon Monday, Vancouver Police canceled the alert stating Lopez and her daughter may already be in Mexico.

Police said that the Chevy belongs to 23-year-old Jose Orellana-Gomez. Orellana-Gomez told police that he had arrived at Lopez's apartment last week to help her by giving her a ride to Centralia.

When he got there, he was approached by three men who tied him to a chair, demanded his credit card pin, stole the card, and told him that they were taking his Chevy.

After they fled, Orellana-Gomez was able to free himself and call police. One of those men was arrested, police said.

Erick Garcia-Valdovinos is charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of robbery related to these incidents.

Anyone with any information is urged to call 911.

--Patch reporter Colin Miner contributed to this report/Photos via Vancouver Police Department