Zach Beaird

zachary.beaird@shreveporttimes.com

Two alleged Shreveport kidnappers are behind bars in Arizona and now await their return to Louisiana.

An extradition hearing for Keith Rogers, 34, and Antoinette Wong, 28, has been set for Friday, according to Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Matt Harris. The two are being held without bond in Pinal County, Arizona.

The children, 7-year-old Donnie Simmons and 2-year-old Elijah Wong, remain in the custody of Arizona's Department of Child Safety as arrangements for their return are negotiated with the Department of Children and Family Services in Louisiana.

A month-long, nationwide manhunt for the alleged kidnappers ended in Casa Grande, Arizona, Saturday evening when Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Ashton Shewey stopped a vehicle that reportedly swerved out of its lane on westbound Interstate 10 near the town of Eloy, according to ADPS.

"After approaching the vehicle and contacting the two adult and two juvenile occupants, the trooper (Shewey) found the driver had no identification. The driver verbally identified himself to the trooper," said ADPS spokesman Capt. Damon Cecil in a press release.

Though Rogers apparently gave Shewey a fake name, Wong's Louisiana driver's license brought up two outstanding federal warrants for armed robbery. She was immediately arrested.

Rogers was arrested as well for not having a valid identification, per Arizona state law. Rogers admitted his true identity once in custody and was charged on outstanding warrants, including bank robbery and probation violation for a 2005 manslaughter conviction.

"A search of the vehicle by troopers and detectives uncovered evidence and currency believed to be from a bank robbery that Rogers committed," Cecil said.

Shreveport Police Department spokesman Cpl. Marcus Hines said the bank robbery was the one that occurred at Aneca Federal Credit Union, which authorities believe Rogers and Wong committed Jan. 28 — more than two weeks after the children were reported missing. Rogers also was wanted for two other bank robberies in Shreveport-Bossier City that occurred prior to the children's disappearance.

Wong also was wanted on two counts of misdemeanor child desertion, Hines said.

The half-brothers reportedly were taken at gunpoint from separate homes Jan. 12. Saturday's arrest was the first time law enforcement had been able to validate the children's status since their abduction.

LSP, SPD, the local FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service exhausted a great amount of time and resources over the past several weeks searching for the children with little luck, Harris said. What few tips they did receive, he said, were always false or called in too late.

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"They could've left and came back. They could've stayed here the whole time. We just don't know yet," Harris said.

Agents will be able to determine where Rogers and Wong were staying and keeping the children through their own investigation pending the pair's return to Caddo Parish.

In spite of the non-stop searching by local authorities, however, it was ultimately old-fashioned police work that's bringing these children home safely, Cecil said.

"We need to be continually vigilant," Cecil said. "This really brought home for Shewey that every citizen contact made could save someone's life. In this case, what was thought to be a minor traffic violation turned out to be so much more."