Child Recovered by Police After Kidnapping by Mother

by Lee Brown , September 6, 2012

RIALTO – Police reported that a two-year-old boy, reportedly kidnapped by his biological mother, was found at a hotel in Ontario on Wednesday night.

Stacey Nicole Patterson had lost custody of her two kids, and abducted her son at a McDonald's visitation

Stacey Nicole Patterson, 21, was taken into custody for kidnapping her son from a McDonald’s earlier that day. Police issued an immediate Amber alert. She had lost custody to her son, Elijah Cardenas, along with her one-year-old daughter, police reported, due to child abuse allegations.

Elijah was taken at 10:12 a.m. during a supervised visitation with the child’s foster parents at the McDonald’s on the 100 block of West Baseline Rd., said Rialto police.

James Alan Krost was apparently in a relationship with Patterson, and may have helped police locate the missing boy

“We received information that led us to the hotel,” said Rialto Police Capt. Randy DeAnda. “We set up surveillance at the location and were able to take the child back into protective custody and he is safe.”

It was not clear if Patterson had assistance from anyone else in the abduction, but Police suspected that James Alan Krost, 53, may have been involved. They had been seen driving away in a black 2004 Dodge Ram pickup truck. Police located Krost and the vehicle in Corona later that night.

It was not disclosed if Krost, who is thought to be Patterson’s boyfriend, gave information to police about the whereabouts of the missing child and mother. They did not say what role Krost played in the abduction or the recovery of the child, nor was it clear if he had been arrested.