LANCASTER – A 6-year-old girl allegedly snatched by her estranged mother and two accomplices while on her way to school has been safely returned to her father, authorities said.
After more than two weeks on the run, 22-year-old Alysia Toy was arrested Thursday afternoon when she brought the child into the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station, according to Lancaster Community Relations deputy Miguel Ruiz. That same day, deputies with the LAN-CAP Team arrested the child’s cousin, 27-year-old Coqueise Smith, at her job at an East Lancaster fast food restaurant. Deputies are still hunting for a third suspect in the kidnapping – the child’s aunt, 50-year-old Alisa Toy.
The three suspects are accused of kidnapping the 6-year-old as she was on her way to Columbia Elementary School in Lancaster on Nov. 4.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near 27th Street East and Avenue J-8.
Kevin Simon said he and his sister were walking his daughter to school, when the three women pulled alongside them in a vehicle.
“My daughter’s mother and my daughter’s cousin jumped out the car, they ran over and they had snatched my daughter out of my sister’s arms,” Simon said, adding that the aunt was driving the getaway vehicle. “My daughter was screaming, ‘Mommy no! Mommy no!’ and then they jumped in the car and sped off towards [Avenue] K.”
Simon, who has temporary full custodial rights, said he was extremely concerned for his daughter’s safety.
“My daughter’s mother is on heavy drugs and there’s no telling what she’ll do,” Simon said in the days following the alleged kidnapping. He said two weeks prior to the incident, Toy had attempted to break into his house and snatch his sleeping daughter.
Lancaster deputies set up a command post on the day of the alleged kidnapping, but could not locate the women or the 6-year-old. Deputies continued to search for Toy, and she came into the station just as deputies were closing in on her location.
Toy and Smith are expected to be charged with kidnapping and child abduction and are each being held in lieu of $150,000 bail.
Authorities are now asking for the public’s help in locating the third suspect. Alisa Toy is described as a 50-year-old Black female with black hair and brown eyes, who is about 5 feet three inches tall and weighs around 210 pounds.
Anyone with information on the location of Alisa Toy is asked to contact Detective Banks at Lancaster Station at 661-948-8466.
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