Lancaster Man Held in Boy’s Kidnapping

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lancaster man Thursday on suspicion of kidnapping his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son after the couple argued about a van he allegedly had stolen.

Steven Lewis Maher, 25, was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail in the Costa Mesa Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and auto theft.

Maher and Andrea Gannon, 22, also of Lancaster, had been visiting a relative of Gannon’s on Wednesday afternoon in the 500 block of Paularino Avenue in Costa Mesa, when Maher revealed he had stolen the blue Ford van they were driving, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ron Smith said.

The couple began arguing, and Maher grabbed the boy and took off, according to Smith.

As Maher ran out, Gannon stabbed him several times in the back with a 12-inch knife, Smith said. He was not seriously injured, and he escaped with the toddler in the van, Smith said.

Maher returned to his home in Lancaster, where he was arrested early Thursday morning.

Gannon will not be charged with the stabbing, Smith said, but she was being held Thursday at Orange County Women’s Central Jail in Santa Ana in lieu of $20,000 bail on a warrant accusing her of a commercial burglary and for a traffic violation.

There was a $5,000 bench warrant for Gannon’s arrest for failing to pay a $1,480 fine she was assessed as part of a plea bargain on the burglary charge and a $15,000 warrant for failing to appear in court on charges she was driving on a suspended license, Smith said.

“We really didn’t have any choice but to arrest her,” Smith said. “It may not be pleasant in those kinds of situations, but those were bench warrants and we have to arrest.”

The child was unharmed, Smith said, and was placed in the custody of relatives in the Lancaster area.

Sanchez is a Times staff writer and Sandoval is a correspondent.