WARWICK, RI — A mother and father kidnapped their children from a Department of Children, Youth & Families supervised visit at a Warwick Chuck E. Cheese and fled the state, police said.
Sahaira Villanueva, 38, and Alexandro Legreat, 30, were captured in Maryland and arrested on charges of child snatching, the Warwick Police Department said in a media release.
About 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Villanueva and Legreat were on a scheduled, DCYF case worker-supervised visit with their 2-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son at the Bald Hill Road Chuck E. Cheese, according to the release.
"During the visit, the parents carried the children out of the building, exiting through a door out of view of the case Worker, and fled the state," the release said.
Cellphone pings showed the getaway car heading south through Connecticut and New York, according to the release.
Surveillance footage and license plate reader data comparison identified the vehicle as a 2026 Nissan Altima with Florida plates that Villanueva had rented in that state, the release said.
The police obtained arrest warrants for Villanueva and Legreat, according to the release.
By Sunday, cellphone pings showed the car continuing south through Pennsylvania and Delaware, the release said.
"The Warwick Police Department next contacted the Maryland State Police requesting assistance with stopping the vehicle as it was approaching their state," according to the release.
Shortly before 4:45 p.m., the Maryland State Police notified the Warwick police they had stopped the Altima, the "children had been safely recovered, and both responsible parties were in custody," the release said.
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