Petaluma mom accused of fleeing to Maui with son faces kidnapping charge

A Petaluma mother who authorities say violated a court order and fled with her 9-year-old son to Maui is back in Sonoma County and faces kidnapping charges in court Thursday.

Autumn Stone, 38, was booked into Sonoma County Jail Wednesday on one felony charge of child abduction. She was being held on $150,000 bail.

She is due for her first court hearing Thursday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court.

The boy’s father reported him missing in early March from his west Petaluma home and police tracked Stone and the boy to Maui.

A judge issued a custody order in February granting the boy’s father custody and prohibiting Stone from having any contact with her son.

Stone was arrested by the Maui Police Department on suspicion of child abduction after a public transit driver who had seen local alerts recognized Stone and her son as they boarded a bus and called authorities.

Stone was booked into the Maui Community Corrections Center and was held on a Sonoma County arrest warrant. She was extradited to Sonoma County and booked into the jail Wednesday afternoon.

The boy, who was unharmed, was turned over to Child Welfare Services when his mother was arrested.

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.