Authorities have canceled an Amber Alert that New Mexico State Police issued for a 3-year-old girl, saying the child has been found safe. New Mexico State Police said in a statement earlier Tuesday morning that the girl, identified as Merleah Guinn, had been taken from her home in Santa Rosa, a small town east of Albuquerque. At the time, they said she had been taken by an "unknown abductor." The girl's mother , Charity Chino, 34, told our partners at the Albuquerque Journal that she had taken the girl from her father's house because she had been concerned about her.According to New Mexico State Police, Chino was not authorized to have contact with Merleah or the father, Xavier Guinn. She said Xavier Guinn may not have remembered that she had picked up the child because he had not been fully awake at the time. State police located Merleah and Chino at a residence in Tohajiilee, New Mexico, on the Navajo reservation. Chino admitted to violating a temporary order of protection and taking Merleah. Police arrested Chino on charges of aggravated stalking, children endangerment, kidnapping and burglary. Merleah has been placed in temporary Children, Youth, and Families Department custody.

Authorities have canceled an Amber Alert that New Mexico State Police issued for a 3-year-old girl, saying the child has been found safe.



New Mexico State Police said in a statement earlier Tuesday morning that the girl, identified as Merleah Guinn, had been taken from her home in Santa Rosa, a small town east of Albuquerque. At the time, they said she had been taken by an "unknown abductor."



The girl's mother , Charity Chino, 34, told our partners at the Albuquerque Journal that she had taken the girl from her father's house because she had been concerned about her.

According to New Mexico State Police, Chino was not authorized to have contact with Merleah or the father, Xavier Guinn.


She said Xavier Guinn may not have remembered that she had picked up the child because he had not been fully awake at the time.



State police located Merleah and Chino at a residence in Tohajiilee, New Mexico, on the Navajo reservation.

Chino admitted to violating a temporary order of protection and taking Merleah. Police arrested Chino on charges of aggravated stalking, children endangerment, kidnapping and burglary.

Merleah has been placed in temporary Children, Youth, and Families Department custody.