Police Rescue 6-Year-Old Venice Boy After Police Chase: Updated

VENICE, CA — A woman who allegedly kidnapped her own 6-year-old boy from his school in Venice Wednesday was arrested trying to flee police with her son in her arms. Nishia Burnett-Hayer, 35, was arrested about 7:30 p.m. after she got out of her car and ran with the boy in her arms into a Harley Davidson shop in the 4100 block of Lincoln Boulevard, according to authorities and reports from the scene.

Burnett-Hayer does not have custody of her son, who lives with his aunt. Officers could be seen taking the boy, West Burnett, from the shop after the woman was taken into custody. Police were looking for 6-year-old West Burnett, who was last seen by his aunt when he was dropped off at Coeur D’alene Avenue Elementary School in Venice Wednesday morning.

"West was taken by his mother Nisha Burnett, who does not have custody rights," detectives said in a statement.

An Amber Alert was issued for the boy, who police said was taken from school in his mother's gold 2004 BMW 530i. Before she was arrested, Burnett-Hayer, with her son seated in the front seat beside her, called out from the window of her car to tell an ABC7 news crew that she did not kidnap the boy.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.