Child Is Returned to Mother; Father Held
An 3-year-old girl was found unharmed and reunited with her mother Friday morning in the Rampart area just west of downtown, a day after allegedly being kidnapped by her father, police said.
The girl’s father was arrested a short time later for investigation of child stealing after two of his friends led police to him.
Rigoberto Castro, 28, allegedly grabbed his daughter, Heidi, from Ada Funes as the couple were walking along Olympic Boulevard, police said.
Castro later became frightened after seeing a television report of the incident and arranged to have the girl dropped off at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division, investigators said.
Heidi was taken to Children’s Hospital and found to be in good condition, officers said.
Castro was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for drug sales, police said. Two of his friends cooperated with investigators and arranged to meet him Friday.
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