Man abducts daughters from Tulare County, police find them in SoCal, officials say

A Southern California man was taken into custody after abducting his two daughters from their home in Tulare County on Saturday morning, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies arrived to the 14600 block of Road 190 in Poplar around 7:30 a.m. after the girls’ mother called authorities.

The woman told deputies that her ex-husband Christian Jaime, 32, of El Centro took their daughters, who are 8 and 13 years old, according to a news release. Jaime does not have custody of the children, the sheriff’s office said.

While driving, Jaime was pulled over by the Westmorland and Brawley Police Departments in Imperial County. Both girls were safe, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Jaime is in custody in Brawley and detectives from Tulare County are on their way to interview him, according to the news release.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is also involved in another case in Imperial County. The body of Tipton mother Brittney Steenbergen was found in the county on New Year’s Day. Her estranged boyfriend is suspected in her death. His car was found abandoned in El Centro, the Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.