Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating two Santa Clarita Valley foster children who were allegedly abducted by their biological mother on Thursday.
In a press bulletin released Friday, Sheriff’s Department personnel said the alleged abduction of the two girls had occurred at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday from Olive View Medical Center, located at 14445 Olive View Drive in Sylmar.
The suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Angela Doroteo, a Hispanic woman and Van Nuys resident, according to the Major Crimes Bureau press release.
“She is the biological mother of the two children, but previously lost her parental rights,” the press release stated. “She and an unknown male adult took her two children by force as their foster mother was taking them to a doctor’s appointment at Olive View Medical Center.”
According to investigators, Doroteo is said to have physically assaulted the children’s foster mother before she and the man with her pulled the two children out of the victim’s vehicle.
“Doroteo and the unknown male pulled the children out of the vehicle, placed them in a dark gray Chevrolet Malibu, and fled the scene,” read the press bulletin. “That vehicle was recovered a short time later not far from the crime scene.”
The Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau-Metro Detail led a search for the kids, but neither them nor their biological mother had yet been found as of Friday afternoon.
“It is believed they may be headed to Mexico,” reads the bulletin.
Although they did not release the two girls’ names, the bulletin describes the oldest of the two as a 7-year-old Hispanic girl, 4-feet, 3-inches tall, weighing 80 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and last seen wearing a teal/gray sweatshirt, dark jeans and cowboy boots.
The younger sister is described as a 4-year-old Hispanic girl, 3-feet, 6-inches tall, weighing 58 pounds, and last seen wearing a purple shirt, green skirt and orange sandals.
Doroteo is described as a 42-year-old Hispanic woman, 5-feet, 7-inches tall, weighing 200 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a facemask.
The two children live with their foster family in the Santa Clarita Valley, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of these two young victims and/or the location of the suspects, contact the Major Crimes Bureau Hotline at 562-946-7893.
If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222 TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.
