The U.S. Marshals Office, working with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 16 arrested the non-custodial parents of three young children in Apache Junction after an eight-day search.

The parents, Ryan Nicholas Mullin, 36, of San Tan Valley, and Ashlee Lynne Waldie, 32, of Paulden, were charged with abducting a child from state custody after taking their three children from their custodial grandmother’s house in Paulden on Dec. 7, YCSO said in a media release posted on Facebook @ YavapaiCountySheriff.

At approximately 6 a.m. on Dec. 7, the two suspects drove from Apache Junction to Paulden to the home of the children’s grandparents, the release states

“Two of the children were under a safety plan with Department of Child Services and the youngest was formally in the care of DCS. The children’s grandparents currently have temporary custody. DCS was involved with the children because the courts determined the three juveniles were at risk due to the parents’ drug use and history of neglect,” it states. “While on the way to Paulden, Mullin called the grandparents and told them he coming to get the kids and that he would kill them if they tried getting in the way. When the suspects arrived, the grandmother — fearing for her own safety as well as the safety of the children — could only watch as the parents took the children and drove away.”

Later that day, YCSO deputies were dispatched to a custodial interference call at the grandmother’s home after a DCS worker reported that the children had been taken. After arriving on the scene and interviewing the grandmother and DCS worker, deputies contacted the U.S. Marshals Office Task Force in Flagstaff.

In the following days YCSO Criminal Investigations was able to determine Mullin and Waldie took the children to the Phoenix area, and were able to obtain arrest warrants for both parents, the release states.

“With the YCSO information, the U.S. Marshals Task Force was able to locate both suspects and all three children in a car in Apache Junction. Waiting for Mullin to be away from the children, Task Force members were able to take Mullin into custody, and then found Waldie in a store and took her into custody as well,” the release states.

Mullin and Waldie were booked into the Yavapai County jail and charged with abduction of a child from state custody. Mullin was found with a gun and may be charged with weapon crimes as well, the release states.

After the children were seen by EMTs, the marshals office team turned the children to DCS.

“We are relieved the children are safe and thank the U.S. Marshals Office for their skill and dedication in this case” YCSO Sheriff David Rhodes said in the release. “The defense of children is one of our highest priorities, and the collaboration between YCSO and the Marshals Office demonstrated just how powerful a force the partnership in law enforcement can be when we are when trying to protect our kids”.