Mother of Missing Children Arrested in Hawaii on $5 Million Warrant

The mother of two missing Idaho children, Lori Vallow, has been arrested in Hawaii for child abandonment and is being held on a $5 million dollar bond.

She was arrested on Tuesday by the Kaua’i Police Department as part of an ongoing investigation by the Rexburg Police Department in regard to the two missing children.

The Madison County Prosecuting Attorney in Idaho said in a press release that the maximum sentence for each count of child abandonment is 14 years in prison.

The Two Missing Children Were Last Seen in September

Currently, her two children, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow have not been located. Nothing is known about their whereabouts. They were last seen in September and no one knows if they’re alive or dead.

A press release by the Madison County press alleges that Lori Vallow “abandoned her two minor children, delayed law enforcement’s attempts to locate her children, and encouraged another individual to delay law enforcement’s attempts to locate her children.”

Vallow was arrested after she failed to comply with a court order to “produce” her children to authorities by January 30 in Madison County in Idaho. In a statement, Rexburg police alleged that Valllow “has refused to work with law enforcement to help us resolve this matter.”

Kaua’i Chief of Police Todd G. Raybuck said in the press release,

“First of all, we wish to thank the public for the massive outpouring of concern regarding this case. We also want to thank everyone for their patience while investigators worked diligently to comprehensively gather everything they needed in order to obtain this arrest warrant,” he continued.

Mother Charged With Two Felony Counts of Nonsupport and Desertion

Vallow’s court date has not yet been set. It isn’t clear whether she’s entered a plea or hired accident lawyers, but as for now, she has been charged with two felony counts of nonsupport of dependent children and desertion.

Not only that, but she’s also been charged with criminal solicitation to commit a crime, resisting or obstructing officers, contempt of court and showing willful disobedience of court process or order.

Authorities first became suspicious of Vallow’s involvement after she pulled her son from school in September, stating in an email to the school that she pulled J.J. out because her family had to “move quickly” so she could accept an out-of-state job offer.

The children’s grandparents have since spoken out, telling PEOPLE that they hope the children will return safely.

“There are two phone calls I want to get right now,” said Larry Woodcock, the grandfather. “The first call is that they’ve been found right now. J.J. and Tylee are safe and they’re heading home.

“The second call is that Lori and Chad Daybell have been arrested. She didn’t comply with a court order,” he said. “She belongs in handcuffs.”