BILLINGS — Montana authorities issued an Amber Alert for two children police say were abducted by their parents, who lost custody of them.
Authorities say 2-year-old Gabriella Stratton and 4-month-old Abbigail Stratton were abducted Monday by their mother, 33-year-old Maria Sandoval, during a supervised visit at the Center for Children and Families.
Billings Police Lt. Casey Hafner said the children’s father, 34-year-old Donald Stratton, was believed to be traveling with them.
Sandoval was later located and detained by law enforcement in Vaughn, Montana. Stratton and the children remained missing late Monday afternoon, Hafner said.
Authorities described the abduction as a “life-threatening circumstance.” The children were in state custody because of their parents’ drug use, Hafner said.
Both children were described as American Indians with black hair and brown eyes.
Officials said they could be traveling in a 1994 blue and gray GMC Suburban with license plate 3C9021H.