VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A nine-year-old Vancouver boy who was believed to have been the subject of a parental abduction case has been found.

Emerson Cusworth was located yesterday near Phoenix, Arizona.

He had been missing since March 9. The nine-year-old’s father went to pick him up from school, but he wasn’t there. Police believed his mother, Shawana Chaudhary, had taken him, despite a court-imposed custody agreement.

Chaudhary, the boy and his younger sister were found safe yesterday in the Phoenix area.

Constable Jason Doucette with the Vancouver Police Department says he isn’t sure why the mother may have chosen Arizona. “Our investigators were able to track Emerson and his younger sister, and his mom down to that area. It wasn’t until yesterday with the assistance of the US Marshall and the United States Department of Homeland Security that they were located safe and taken into custody.”

He also couldn’t say exactly when the family crossed the border into the US. “We’re so close to a border here. We cover all of our options. The VPD, when we receive calls like this or reports like this, we will reach out to all of our partner agencies. We would reach out to all of our partner agencies within hours of us receiving the information.”

Shawana Chaudhary and her son Emerson Cusworth. (Courtesy Vancouver Police)

Chaudhary has been arrested and is expected to be extradited to face charges in Canada. “Crown Counsel in BC has approved a charge against Chaudhary in relation to the alleged abduction. She’ll be arrested by the Vancouver Police Department upon her return to Canada.”

Police say steps are being taken to bring Emerson and his sister back to Canada.