A 2-year-old girl at the center of a child abduction case out of San Jose was found safe Thursday afternoon, but the alleged kidnapper – the girl's biological mother – remains at large, according to police.
Police said Crystal Mendez abducted her daughter Tayana on Wednesday from a residence along the 5000 block of Charlotte Drive in San Jose. Mendez does not have custody of the child.
Tayana was found Thursday at a relative's home in Oakland, according to police.
While Tayana has been located, police said they are still trying to find Mendez.
Mendez is 5-foot-1 and 150 pounds with long brown hair and brown eyes. Police said she has ties to the Tenderloin District in San Francisco, is a "heavy" drug user and has a tattoo of "Dante" on her neck. She was last seen wearing a white hooded jacket, black skinny jeans with ripped knees and dark colored sneakers.
Anyone who sees Mendez is asked to call 911 immediately.
"She doesn't have, from as far as we know, a residence where she can go to," San Jose police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said. "More than likely she is roaming either city streets in San Francisco, Oakland or maybe even be back in our city."
Police believe Mendez's last known residence was a basement in a home on Turk Street in San Francisco.
Tayana had been placed in the custody of Mendez's ex-husband, according to police.
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"That person is not the child's biological father, but that's who was deemed to be the best person to take care of her," Camarillo said. "I believe baby's biological father also has some legal and drug issues as well."
