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Gene Kennedy and Samantha Hayes Reporting Two children missing from Washington state are found in Utah, thanks to a tip from a South Jordan woman. The woman was working at a store when she spotted a wanted woman near her business.
The identity of this observant citizen hasn't been released because she wants to remain anonymous. But police are definitely talking about what she did.
A flier taped on the windows of businesses in South Jordan showed kidnapped two-year-old and four-year-old children from Vancouver, Washington, and their wanted mother.
The mother was driving a 2000 gold Mazda Protege. The South Jordan woman was working at a store in a strip mall. She spotted a car matching the description and, sure enough, the kids and their mother were inside.
The employee took action.
Sgt. Dan Starks, South Jordan Police: "The gal who called works at a local business and had that flier posted every day. She indicated she had seen the same gal a few days prior and went back to the poster and made sure she was seeing exactly what she was seeing, and contacted police at that time."
The car was not there when police arrived.
Sgt. Dan Starks: "But the sergeant was wise enough to drive the area."
Police found the car across the street in the Smith's parking lot.
Officers took the children's mother, Christina Lasser, into custody. There has been a 50 thousand dollar warrant for her arrest.
Police in Washington tell Eyewitness News the children's parents are in the middle of a divorce. Police think the mother disappeared with the kids six months ago, telling her husband he would never see the kids again.
Police say Christina Lasser told her husband she was heading to California, but he had a hunch she was in Utah, so he had the fliers posted here.
Lasser is scheduled to be extradited to Washington state sometime today.
