Kidnapped child found in Santa Monica motel room

A young girl kidnapped in Santa Monica was discovered in a motel room on Friday.

Santa Monica police received reports of the kidnapping around 12:11 p.m.

A grandmother told police her 4-year-old granddaughter was kidnapped from a restaurant in the 1900 block of Lincoln Boulevard.

Officers arrived at the scene and began collecting images of the suspect from nearby surveillance video. She was described as a heavyset white female in her 30s.

About thirty officers and civilians began searching for the woman in the area.

Around 12:37 p.m., officers found the child in a room at the Holiday Motel, at the corner of 11th Street and Pico Boulevard.

The child was found safe and the suspect was taken into custody for kidnapping.

Authorities said the suspect, who has not been identified, appeared to have been living at the motel for an extended period of time.

The motive for the kidnapping and the woman’s criminal history remain unclear.

“Our best wishes go out to the child and his family as they deal with the shock of this ordeal,” Santa Monica police said. “We will do everything we can to ensure they receive assistance during this time and to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the investigation.”

Authorities said the woman’s identity and photo will be released within the next 24 hours.

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