Missing Sonoma County baby, mother found in Sierra County

The 7-month-old Guerneville baby, who was abducted by his mother and reported missing Monday afternoon in a statewide Amber Alert, was found Tuesday in Downieville, a small town in Sierra County, northeast of Yuba City.

The baby's mother, Hannah Ashley, 35, was arrested and taken into custody by Sierra County Sheriff's deputies, while the infant, who was unharmed, has been placed in protective custody, officials said. Sgt. Spencer Crum of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said Ashley's car was located Tuesday morning after a witness who had seen the Amber Alert reported spotting the vehicle Monday night.

“There was a sighting of her vehicle in Sierra County around 7:30 last night,” Crum said Tuesday. “It was not verified by law enforcement; however, a woman reported seeing that vehicle with the license plate and a woman and child in the car.”

On Tuesday morning, about 6:40 a.m., a Sierra County Sheriff's deputy spotted Ashley's vehicle on Highway 49 traveling north towards Downieville. The deputy pursued but eventually lost sight of the car, according to an account by Sgt. Michelle Anderson of the Sierra County Sheriff's Office.

Anderson said the vehicle was soon located abandoned, triggering a large search for both the mother and child. CHP and Placer County Sheriff's Office canine search dogs, a CHP helicopter and several uniformed officers on foot participated in the search.

Crum said later in the afternoon, Ashley walked into a local grocery store in Downieville and was recognized by a store clerk. Ashley had her baby, Henry, secretly placed in a duffel bag, he said.

The store clerk quickly flagged down a passing CHP officer who then took Ashley into custody.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office praised the Amber Alert system and the public's response and attentiveness.

Sierra County Sheriff's officials said both mother and infant were evaluated by local medical personnel and transported to the nearest hospital as a precautionary measure.

“We're happy to report that both mother and child are unharmed and appear to be doing well,” Sierra County Sheriff's Sgt. Anderson said in a written statement.

Ashley was booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on suspicion of child abduction and evading police. Monday's Amber Alert, which went out to millions of people through social media, was prompted by concern about Ashley's history, sheriff's officials said.

Crum said child protective services officials were concerned because of her past drug abuse and mental health problems, and that she was likely incapable of taking care of the child.

The baby's grandmother, who lives in Guerneville, has custody of the boy. She discovered him missing Sunday morning from his crib and called for help, suspecting her daughter had sneaked into the Guerneville home during the night and taken him. The mother was a suspect from the start as a result of recent comments she made during supervised visits about wanting to take her son back, officials said.

Crum said several detectives worked on the case in Sonoma County while numerous CHP officers, Placer County Sheriff's deputies and staff from the California Office of Emergency Services provided their assistance.

Sierra County sits along the California-Nevada border, north of Lake Tahoe and west of Reno. It includes the towns of Downieville and Sierraville.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213. You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412.