A 5-year-old girl, who had been missing for three years, was located in Lynnwood on Thursday night.
U.S. Marshals said the child, had been abducted by her father, 48-year-old Michael Stevens.
In 2014, the Superior Court of California issued a warrant for Stevens' arrest. At the time, Stevens allegedly failed to return the child to a foster family after he authorized an unsupervised visit by the courts.
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This month, California’s Riverside County District Attorney’s Office had requested the help of U.S. Marshals-led Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Investigators received an anonymous tip that Stevens may have been living with the child in the Everett area. U.S. Marshals said Stevens allegedly was going by the name Michael Lee and was using Craigslist to sell used vehicles.
The U.S. Marshals Task Force and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office located Stevens and arrested him.
The victim, who was with Stevens during the arrest, is now with Washington State Child Protective Services.
"The successful recovery of this missing 5-year-old child is a great example of multiple agencies from various jurisdictions working together to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.
I would like to thank the anonymous tipster, all of the law enforcement agencies involved, to include the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Child Protective Services, in aiding in the safe recovery of this child," said U.S. Marshal Jacob Green.
Stevens was booked into the Snohomish County Jail where he will await extradition back to California.
Cox Media Group
