Arizona woman arrested in California in a custodial dispute

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — A woman has been arrested in California in a custodial interference case, according to police in a north-central Arizona city.

Prescott Valley police said 36-year-old Erica Chantle Lunsford of Prescott Valley was being held on suspicion of kidnapping and unlawful use of a means of transportation. She remains in custody in California pending extradition to Arizona.

Police said they were notified of a possible kidnapping involving a child around 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. They said the victim reported her daughter had taken her vehicle without permission along with the two children, ages 5 and 10.

The victim is the custodial parent of the 10-year-old child, according to police.

Police said Lunsford was possibly headed to California with the two children.

The department requested assistance from California Highway Patrol which located the stolen vehicle in Indio, arrested the suspect and recovered the children.

It was unclear Sunday if Lunsford has a lawyer yet for her case.