Mother Involved in Amber Alert Arrested After 9-Year-Old Girl Found

A Colorado mother who triggered an Amber Alert over the weekend was arrested on Sunday night.

The alert was issued by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Saturday.

Non-Custodial Parent Arrested After Taking Daughter

Carly Lipnick of Basalt, Colorado, was arrested by law enforcement in Washington, D.C., after taking her 9-year-old daughter on a cross-country drive that sparked the Amber Alert.

The alert was activated on Saturday afternoon for 9-year-old Sloan Lipnick, after her father contacted Basalt police to report that he had not heard from his ex-wife or his daughter. Sloan had been staying with her mother for a few days.

Sloan was last seen in the Denver metro area early Saturday morning. She was listed as last seen with her mother, who does not have custody of the child.

Earlier in the week, a mental health professional had given Basalt police concern that the child’s safety might be an issue.

According to Basalt police, Carly had checked out of a Denver metro area hotel around noon on Friday, and her car was spotted near Manhattan, Kansas, around 9 pm that evening.

However, it was when one of Carly’s relatives contacted Basalt police that Sloan was finally located. She ended up on the East Coast with her mother. The 39-year-old mother had reportedly taken her daughter on a cross-country drive. They wound up in Maryland on Sunday.

Law Enforcement Learned of Child’s Whereabouts Thanks to Relative in Maryland

Sloan’s mother called a relative on Sunday to tell her where she had dropped off her 9-year-old daughter. That location in Maryland was apparently where another family member used to live.

That relative contacted Basalt police to let them know where the missing girl could be found.

After Sloan was reunited with family members on Sunday, Lt. Munch of the Basalt Police Department issued a statement that read, “The Basalt Police Department would like to thank everyone who provided valuable information over the last few days in safely locating Sloan. We would also like to thank all the agencies involved in helping coordinate efforts to bring this incident to a successful and safe closure.”

After Sloan was located, an active warrant for Carly’s arrest stemming from the incident was issued.

A law enforcement agency in Washington D.C. eventually arrested Carly early Sunday evening, according to Lt. Munch.

When asked if she had a legitimate reason for taking her daughter, Carly apparently didn’t have one. Carly is charged with felony violation of a court order, and is now being held on a $500,000 bond.