Modesto girl rescued by CHP after abduction

A 2-year-old Modesto girl is back with her family after being rescued by the California Highway Patrol during an attempted abduction.

Modesto Police contacted the CHP at 11:50 p.m. Thursday to assist in the child abduction case.

According to the Bakersfield CHP, the girl had allegedly been taken by her mother from the Modesto home of her legal guardian, her grandmother. MPD requested CHP help locate a rented maroon sedan with a Texas plate. Authorities said the girl's mother, Silvia Lechuga, was driving the vehicle and attempting to flee to Texas.

Modesto Police reportedly pinged Lechuga's phone in Kern County.

CHP officers in the vicinity began to search the area. At 12:36 a.m., CHP officers Hector Organista and his partner Danny Ray were behind a black Toyota Camry with New Mexico plates when they saw a female driver and a child's car seat in the back seat.

Even though the vehicle did not match the initial description, authorities said they decided to perform an enforcement stop.

The officers then positively identified the driver as Lechuga and she was arrested for child abduction. Lechuga and the 2-year-old were transported to the City of Kingsburg where they met up with MPD officers and the girl was reunited with her grandmother.

This story was originally published January 13, 2018 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Modesto girl rescued by CHP after abduction."