Former Tennessee teacher Tad Cummins was arrested this morning near a remote commune in northern California and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas, whom he was alleged to have kidnapped, was found unharmed nearly 2,500 miles from home after an intense five-week search.

At a press conference held Thursday afternoon, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) spokesperson Josh DeVine recounted how a tip from a resident led to Cummins' capture and Thomas' recovery.

According to the official, at around 11pm on Wednesday, TBI got a call from a man saying he may have encountered the wanted pair.

The man said that the two of them were believed to have taken up residence in a cabin in Cecilville, California - a very isolated and rural area near the Oregon border - within the last week and a half.

TBI then contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office and learned that investigators there had received the same tip from the same person who contacted the Tennessee agency.

Scroll down for video

Arrested and found: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Tad Cummins (left) and the safe recovery of Elizabeth Thomas (right) in California

A long way from home: This map shows where Cummins had allegedly kidnapped Thomas on March 13; they were spotted at a Walmart in Oklahoma two days later and caught at a cabin in Cecilville in Siskiyou County, California, on April 20

Deputies were then dispatched to the isolated location, where they found what appeared to be Cummins' Nissan Rogue parked outside a cabin.

The sheriff's officials were able to confirm through the VIN number on the Nissan that it was, indeed, Cummins' vehicle.

THE COUPLE'S FLIGHT FROM JUSTICE January 23: Tad Cummins is spotted kissing Elizabeth Thomas, his student at Culleoka High School, by another student. He denies the claim, saying that they are friends; she is taken out of his classes February 3: Cummins is reprimanded by the school principal after Elizabeth is found to have entered his classroom for around 30 minues February 6: Cummins is suspended c. March 9: Cummins takes out a $4,500 loan on his car. March 10: Cummins makes the last in a series of impromptu appearances at Elizabeth's place of work March 12: Cummins buys hair dye from Walmart in Columbia, TN March 13, 7:45am: Thomas is dropped off at Shoney's in Columbia by a friend March 13, 8am: Cummins is seen pumping gas in Columbia March 13, noon: Cummins and Elizabeth are seen together in Decatur, AL, around 70 miles from Columbia. He is fired from his job this same day March 15: Cummins and Thomas are seen buying food at a Walmart. They are sporting dyed hair. This is their last sighting for more than a month March 30: Tad Cummins' wife of 31 years, Jill, files for divorce April 19: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is contacted by a man who says he has seen the pair in Cecilville, California. Police converge on a remote cabin, arrest Cummins and confirm that Elizabeth is safe Advertisement

The deputies kept the Nissan under surveillance for several hours and when Cummins showed up in the morning, they took him into custody and rescued Thomas.

TBI Director Mark Gwyn told reporters Thomas, who was described as healthy and physically unharmed, will soon be heading home to Tennessee on board a TBI aircraft.

On top of state charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor, Cummins has also been charged with a federal count of transportation of a minor across state lines for the purpose of sexual intercourse.

Acting US Attorney Jack Smith, who announced the new charge, said it carries a minimum sentence of 10 years.

TBI Director Mark Gwyn said in a statement to The Tennessean on Thursday afternoon that the agency has received more than 1,500 leads from all 50 states as part of this case.

'What happened in California this morning, however, proves it only takes one person to lead to a successful end,' he stated.

'We are extremely thankful the hard work of all partners in this search has paid off. We’re also grateful for the public’s support and vigilance throughout this search effort.'

Authorities from Siskiyou County found the runaways at a cabin in Cecilville early Thursday morning. Cummins surrendered without incident.

According to the TBI, the man is currently being held in a California jail without bond, awaiting to be extradited back to Tennessee.

Authorities had initially identified Black Bear Ranch, around 16 miles from Cecilville, as the location of the arrest, but later said they found the pair at a cabin in another remote location.

Last sighting: The pair's last sighting was at an Oklahoma Walmart on March 15 (pictured)

Cummins, 50, who is married and has two daughters and grandchildren, allegedly abducted his former student on March 13 from her home near Columbia, Tennessee.

The two, who were thought to be in a sexual relationship, were last spotted two days later.

Their last confirmed sighting prior to the arrest was at a Walmart in Oklahoma, 700 miles away from home, after they had both dyed their hair.

Court papers filed recently in the girl's disappearance say she was afraid of the teacher and thought she would face repercussions at school if she resisted him.

When asked at a press conference if she had gone willingly, Gwyn said the question 'didn't matter'.

'At the end of the day she's 15 years old, she's 15 years old, she's a young girl that's with a grown man that's 50 years old.

'He needs to be held accountable for kidnapping this girl,' he said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for Thomas when she disappeared, launching an intense nationwide manhunt involving the FBI.

TBI sent out this tweet shortly before noon local time announcing the break in the case

The agency followed with this 'Thank You' tweet expressing gratitude to the public

Scorned wife speaks: Jill Cummins, the wife of Tad Cummins, told ABC last week she had treated 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas as her 'third daughter' before her husband and the teen ran away together last month

Speaking to DailyMail.com Thursday, Elizabeth’s relieved mother said: 'All I want to do now is hug and kiss her.'

Kimberly Thomas, 48, feared she might never see the 15-year-old girl again after she vanished more than five weeks ago with her married teacher.

'It's only been a little over a month but to us it has felt like forever,' Thomas told DailyMail.com.

'I just lost my mother, she died of an aneurysm. She never had high blood pressure before but this was terribly stressful for her. She never got to hear her granddaughter was OK.

Cummins, a former health teacher, was fired from his job after allegedly kidnapping Thomas. The teen had been his student at Culleoka High School

'As for Mr Cummins, I don't even want to think about him right now. All I can think about is my daughter and the fact she is safe.'

Elizabeth lived with her father, Anthony Thomas, because Mrs Thomas has been prevented from having contact with her because of an ongoing abuse case that is yet to go to court.

However, the mother-of-ten, who only learned her daughter had been found from a news bulletin, says she will ask her attorney to see if they can get special permission to speak.

'The justice system has been very unfair to me throughout this ordeal. Nobody has told me anything. This is my daughter we are talking about,' she added.

'All I want to do now is hug and kiss her. This is more than anyone could have asked for.'

Anthony Thomas told WSMV-TV that his daughter is probably going to be hungry and that he can't wait to tell her that he loves her.

He said Thursday he didn't want to talk about her teacher.

Cummins was wanted by authorities on charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor after a student at Culleoka High School alleged to have seen the teacher kiss Thomas in class on January 23.

The high school health teacher initially denied the claims, saying that he was just friends with the student, and was warned to stay away from her, according to The Sacramento Bee.

He was then reprimanded by school principal Penny Love on February 3 after Elizabeth was seen entering his classroom for around half an hour.

He was then suspended three days later.

But Cummins wasn't fired from his job at the school until the day he and Elizabeth vanished.

Earlier this month, Cummins' wife of 31 years, Jill, filed for divorce citing 'irreconcilable differences.