Authorities have located a 13-year-old girl who was abducted from Tempe Tuesday afternoon. She is safe.
Jazmin Babers was reportedly kidnapped by her non-custodial father about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. An amber alert was issued about 6:30 p.m. -- by 7:30 p.m., Jazmin was found and her dad Ernest Babers was taken into custody.
Police say that Babers was waiting for Jazmin when she got off the school bus, and got into the blue SUV that Babers was driving. Jazmin then texted her mom that she was with her dad.
Jazmin's mother called Babers and told him he wasn't allowed to have her, and words were exchanged, according to police.
"The 13-year-old girl sent her mother a text message that she was on her way to California and was scared," said Tempe Police Sgt. Mike Pooley. "After receiving that text message the city of Buckeye received a 911 phone call from a young lady who said her name was Jazmin and said she needed help."
A DPS officer on an unrelated vehicle stop spotted an SUV matching the description of the vehicle Babers was driving from the Amber Alert. He conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, and inside was Babers and Jazmin.
"This officer was alert and it just shows that the amber alert did work, this inter-departmental cooperation with other agencies was huge tonight, we were able to find this lady and bring her home tonight."
Pooley added that the vehicle that Babers was driving was stolen, and the investigation into that is ongoing.
Ernest Babers reportedly has a history of mental illness and has a warrant out of Gilbert.
An amber alert is issued when a missing child is believed to be in immediate danger.
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Ernest Babers
