A 5-year-old girl who was the subject of a New Mexico Amber Alert was discovered safe in El Paso after reportedly being abducted from an Albuquerque elementary school by her grandmother and aunt, according to New Mexico State Police.
El Paso police arrested Kaelani Gonzales’s grandmother, Marianne Garnand, and aunt, Cecilia Garnand, at a Circle K gas station on Zaragoza Road near Rich Beem Boulevard around 12:10 a.m. According to a news release from New Mexico State Police, the incident occurred on Wednesday, October 23, on the upper east side.
Cecilia Garnand, the girl’s aunt, was allegedly in possession of a revolver, a shotgun, and methamphetamine, according to an El Paso Police Department spokeswoman.
Witnesses reported Kaelani rushing with her grandmother from Kirtland Elementary School into a dark-colored SUV at 4 p.m., prompting New Mexico State Police to issue an Amber Alert. State police in Albuquerque said Tuesday, Oct. 22, that they felt the youngster was in danger.
Since July, the girl has been in the custody of the Children, Youth, and Families Department, and her grandmother does not have legal custody, according to NMSP.
The girl’s grandmother and aunt reportedly abducted her while driving to Texas in an SUV, according to agents from the NMSP Investigations Bureau. The New Mexico State Police claimed they contacted the Texas Department of Public Safety and El Paso police for assistance. Hours later, the Circle K gas station revealed the women’s presence.
Marianne and Cecilia Garnand face charges in New Mexico for child abuse, custodial interference, and conspiracy to commit a felony, according to state police.
The El Paso County Jail Downtown is holding Marianne Garnand without bond on a fugitive from justice charge pending extradition to New Mexico, according to a jail record.
El Paso police arrested Cecilia Garnand for narcotics possession and unlawful carrying of a handgun. According to a jail record, she is in the downtown jail and is being detained on a $4,000 total bond as of Thursday morning.
