Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ST GEORGE — Utah Highway Patrol troopers recovered a 5-month-old Arizona girl who was reported to have been kidnapped by her father when they stopped the man's car four miles over the state line on I-15.
Jeff Green, 47, was arrested and his daughter Aleeha was taken into state custody until family members could arrive, the UHP confirmed.
Green, who has no custodial rights, took the child from her mother's home in Yuma, Ariz., just before 10 p.m. Tuesday after they argued about custody issues, Yuma police reported. Officers believed he was heading for Montana.
The abduction triggered an Amber Alert and a warrant was issued for Green's arrest. Family members worried that Green was suicidal and possibly had a firearm with him.
Officers reported that Green was driving a green Dodge pickup with Arizona license plates.
After hearing about the kidnapping, UHP had two troopers waiting at the state line. They spotted a truck with matching plates that appeared to have been painted white by hand, and green paint could still be seen on the vehicle, police said.
The vehicle had allegedly been whitewashed with primer.
Both troopers began following the truck, and Green pulled over on his own near Brigham Road and was arrested without incident about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was into the Washington County Jail.
Aleeha, who troopers described as "healthy, happy and beautiful," was found unharmed in the vehicle.
