A toddler who was allegedly abducted by her father was found safe in Anaheim after authorities issued an Amber Alert for her on Wednesday morning.
The father, Tony Nicholas, 35, allegedly used force against the child’s mother and stole her purse from a Best Western near Orangethorpe Avenue and the 57 Freeway (map) in Placentia, according to a statewide Amber Alert.
The child, Natalia Nicholas, 2 1/2, was found along with her father at an Anaheim motel, according to Placentia police Lt. Richard Pascarella.
"The man is in custody and the child is safe," Pascarella said.
The little girl was later reunited by police with her tearful mother. Natalia had been in a room with her aunt and some other children before police brought her to her mother.
The girl was allegedly taken by the suspect in a blue 2012 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with 4 doors, similar to the one pictured below. The license plate is 80742A1.
The suspect was described as a 6-foot-2-inch male weighing 290 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray Reebok shirt and gray sweatpants.
No further description of the child was provided.
Nicholas has possibly been en route to Las Vegas, said police, who responded to the domestic violence call just after 4:15 a.m. Authorities said there was a fight between the two in the lobby that dragged out into the motel's parking lot.
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The father threatened to take the girl over state lines, according to the Placentia Police Department, which was also investigating the incident.
Authorities has said the child was not with the couple during the time of the dispute at the motel. Tony Nicholas allegedly abducted the girl from a separate location after the conflict.
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