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Tucson fugitive wanted for kidnapping arrested in Mexico, U.S. Marshal says

Posted at 9:37 PM, Dec 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-18 11:27:45-05

An Arizona woman accused of kidnapping her child and fleeing the country was apprehended by authorities in Mexico on Friday, according the United States marshal.

Officials said 25-year-old Elizabeth Morales was wanted by the authorities in Cochise County for violating her probation following a drug charge. She was also wanted by Tucson police for failure to appear in court following a burglary charge.

Morales was ordered to give her child to the Department of Child Safety following these charges, but instead she took her 4-month-old son to Mexico, U.S. marshal David Gonzales said.

A state task force, called the Arizona WANTED/Violent Offender Task Force-Tucson Division-Child Predator Apprehension Team, worked with Mexican authorities in locating Morales at Agua Prieta in Sonora, Mexico.

"The quick response and investigative efforts by the U. S. Marshals Service and our Mexican partners led to a quick resolution to this case" Gonzales said in a written statement. "Locating and arresting individuals who abduct or kidnap children is a high priority for the U.S. Marshals Service."

Morales was deported back to the U.S. and was booked into the Cochise County Jail, and DCS took custody of her son.