An 11-month-old boy, whose disappearance prompted the California Highway Patrol to issue an Amber Alert, was found safe outside a Big Lots in San Mateo County on Thursday afternoon.
William Brown was reportedly abducted by his grandmother, Phoebe Haynes, from San Francisco around 8 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The 44-year-old woman was also located in the Redwood City store's parking lot and taken into custody.
The incident began when Haynes' daughter left William with her while shopping at a Bayview supermarket. When the woman emerged from the shop, Haynes and William were gone.
Earlier Thursday, police had provided physical descriptions of the pair and reported that Haynes was driving a white 2004 Acura TL. Someone who saw the Amber Alert called 911 after spotting Haynes and William at a liquor store in San Mateo.
"The great news is that the Amber Alert works," said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney's office, whose investigators are handling the case.
Officers from Redwood City and San Francisco's Bayview station responded to the scene, where William was checked and cleared by paramedics. Officials will now determine where the child should live.
The process is meant to "determine what’s best for the baby" and ensure "that everything is OK" with William, according to Bastian.
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The Amber Alert was in effect in San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, Solano, Santa Clara and Alameda counties. The District Attorney's office will now determine what charges Haynes will face.
