Virginia state police stopped Cheryl Kozaczek's vehicle at 2:50pm on I-95 south in Emporia, Va. Watch video
Cheryl and Gaebria Kozaczek
WESTFIELD -- Police have located a 28-year-old city woman and her 3-month-old daughter after an Amber Alert was issued for the pair Wednesday.
State police announced Cheryl E. Kozaczek, of 80 Woodmont St., was located in Virginia with her daughter, Gaebria Kozaczek.
According to Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio, Virginia state police stopped Cheryl Kozaczek's vehicle at 2:50pm on I-95 south in Waverly, Va. Police took the mother into custody. The baby, who was found unharmed and in a child seat, was placed in the custody of Virginia child services.
Kozaczek was traveling alone with the child, police said.
Kozaczek left her home at approximately 1 a.m. Wednesday, taking the infant with her. She did not have legal custody of the baby.
Procopio said Virginia police were on the lookout for Kozaczek's 2004 Toyota Tacoma after being alerted by Massachusetts state police and the Commonwealth Fusion Center dispatched information to law enforcement in states along the East Coast.
"We had developed information earlier in the day that Kozaczek was likely in Maryland, and shortly thereafter that she was continuing to head southbound through the Richmond, Va., toward points south," Propcopio said.
If Kozaczak had made it through Virginia, North Carolina state troopers had set up a check point on I-95 near the boarder specifically to look for her truck, Procopio said.
Because of the effective communication and collaboration among agencies across state lines, "a child was found in a timely manner and unharmed," Procopio said.
Kozacek is being held at the South Side Regional Jail in Emporia, Va. and she is scheduled to be arraigned on a charge of being a fugitive from justice. The Hampden County District Attorney's Office is planning to work with Virginia authorities to arrange her rendition to Massachusetts where she will be charged with kidnapping, possession of a stolen vehicle and other charges.
The drive from Westfield to Emporia, Virginia takes approximately 10 hours under ideal driving conditions, according to Google maps.
Procopio said this is the 17th time that Massachusetts has declared an Amber alert since the program has been in place since 2002. Those 17 cases involved 25 children who were all recovered safely.
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