3 missing Washington children found in Aptos, mother arrested
A mother and father went on the run when they lost custody of their twin babies and toddler because of serious health concerns raised by Child Protective Services, Washington police said.
CPS went to the Rengos house to serve a civil court order and take the three children into protective custody on Jan. 28, but the family had already left.
Cleve Goheen-Rengo, 23, and Erica Carey, 29, fled from their Washington home with the three children. A warrant was not issued for their arrest, but a Be On The Lookout was issued by Bellingham police to West Coast law enforcement.
Bellingham police officers said it was not a criminal kidnapping or Amber Alert investigation, but rather a civil violation by defying CPS court orders.
On Thursday afternoon, a witness who saw the family's description on KSBW Action News 8's website called 911 and told dispatchers that the family was at a 76 gas station on State Park Drive in Aptos.
California Highway Patrol officers and Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies found the parents at the 76 station just before 2 p.m. The three children were found unharmed in the back of the family's Hyundai Elantra and CPS was called in to take the kids.
Carey told a KSBW cameraman, "Send a message to America for me. Children don't belong to the government. The government belongs to the people."
At 3 p.m., Carey was playing with her toddler son in the gas station's parking lot.
"I made these children with my womb," Carey told KSBW.
The Bellingham Herald newspaper wrote an article about the family's custody battle, which centered around religious beliefs.
"The couple said they live a holistic lifestyle based on their Christian belief. The Rengos became a social media sensation last year with online claims that the state was trying to take their children because the twins were born at home," the Bellingham Herald wrote.
At 3:30 p.m., Santa Cruz County CPS arrived to take custody of the three children, but the mother became emotionally distraught and combative.
"She head-butted one of our sergeants and kicked a sheriff's deputy," CHP Officer Brad Sadek said.
Carey was screaming "Jesus! Help! They are taking my children! I want my babies," while CHP officers put her in handcuffs.
She was arrested for refusing to cooperate with Santa Cruz County law enforcement, and will be charged with battery on a peace officer and resisting a peace officer, Sadek said.
"She said a lot of things, a lot of expletives. It's understandable," Sadek said.
CHP officers comforted the 3-month-old twin babies while holding them.
"We feel for their plight. As often as we seem like machines following orders, it still can be emotionally jarring for us too," Sadek said. "We're human beings. Everyone out there has kids of their own. We wanted to make it as comfortable for those kids as we would want for our own kids."
The father was not arrested.
The Rengos were traveling in a silver 2003 Hyundai Elantra 4 door with a Washington license plate number of AAT3216.
While the parents were still on the run, the Bellingham Police Department issued an alert early Thursday morning stating, "They left Bellingham on or about January 24. This is the same period of time that CPS had obtained a court order to take custody of the 3 infant children to verify their health and safety. They have family members in Arizona and Texas. If you do see them, please do not approach, and immediately call 911."
On Feb. 2, a witness spotted the parents in the Rio Del Mar neighborhood of Aptos, California. Santa Cruz County 911 dispatchers said the father was begging for gas money in Rio Del Mar.
Bellingham police told KSBW on Thursday that the children will now be transported back to Washington, where they will be placed in CPS custody.