Mother Armed With Gun, Disguises Abducted Daughters From Stafford Elementary: Police

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A mother abducted her daughters from Stafford Elementary School on Tuesday, authorities said. The woman was arrested in North Carolina and the girls were returned to their father.

Both of the children were unharmed, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.

The girl's mother, 32-year-old Rosa Gregg, was not allowed to have contact with her children due to an active protective order. She is charged with two counts of abduction across state lines. Authorities said more charges are pending.

Gregg is being held without bond in North Carolina pending extradition back to Virginia.

If convicted of both abduction charges, Gregg could face up to 10 years in prison, based on Virginia's sentencing guidelines.

Around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Stafford deputies learned that Gregg had picked up her two daughters from Stafford Elementary School. An active protective order prohibited Gregg from having any interaction with the children, the sheriff's office said.

"Information from Child Protective Services in Virginia Beach indicated Gregg could be a threat to the safety of her children," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.

Investigators sent out an Amber Alert as they learned that Gregg was likely taking the children to Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Authorities found Gregg and her children on Wednesday morning at a Quality Inn hotel in Rocky Mount.

"During a search inventory of her vehicle, multiple wigs and other disguises were located, as well as, a loaded firearm," the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said. "Both children were reunited with their father."

The Stafford County school system declined to comment on the factors that allowed Gregg to pick up her daughters at the school.

"We remain grateful for our partnership with the Sheriff’s Office and for the fact that the girls were brought home swiftly," a Stafford schools spokesperson told Patch.

There are a number of resources available to victims of domestic abuse in Virginia. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be found at 1-800-799-7233. Virginia's family violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-838-8238.