Amber Alert: Girl, 6, Found Safe After Being Taken by Mom From Chester Co., Police Say

After a search that stretched over three days, Pennsylvania State Police canceled an Amber Alert for a missing 6-year-old girl who they say was taken by her mother during a supervised visit in Chester County Tuesday night.

The girl was "located and is safe," state police tweeted Thursday afternoon.

Venessa Gutshall had gone missing with her daughter from the area of East Ward Elementary School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, after 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The girl was at that location for a court-ordered, non-school-related supervised visit with Gutshall.

While Gutshall is the girl's biological mother, she does not have custody rights to the child and is only allowed to see her during supervised visits, officials said. Investigators said Gutshall is homeless and there were concerns about her ability to keep the girl safe.

The supervisor of the visit, a contractor with Chester County Children, Youth & Family (CYF), reported to police that Gutshall fled with her daughter in a gray 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, violating the court order, investigators said.

State police and the Chester County District Attorney's Office said the girl may be at special risk of harm or injury and an Amber Alert was issued.

On Thursday morning, state police changed the spelling of Venessa Gutshall's first name from their initial Amber Alert and released a new photo of the girl. Hours later, the girl was found.

The Amber Alert was statewide. Spotting included Columbia, Ephrata, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Wrightsville and York, state police said Thursday.

The West Chester Area School District alerted its community of the Amber Alert because the girl attends one of the district's schools.

"We appreciate any help in returning her home safe and sound, the WCASD tweeted.

On Thursday around 11:30 a.m., police spotted a stolen Virginia license plate on a gray 2016 Volkswagen Jetta in Fairfax, Virginia, investigators said. Police stopped the vehicle and found Gutshall, but initially didn't see her daughter inside, according to officials. Police said they later found Gutshall's daughter hidden underneath blankets in the backseat.

Gutshall, her daughter and the vehicle were taken to the Mclean District Station of the Fairfax County Police Department. The girl appeared to be unharmed but underwent a medical evaluation, investigators said.

Gutshall was arrested and charged with kidnapping of a minor, unlawful restraint of a minor, endangering the welfare of children, and other related offenses. She is awaiting extradition back to Chester County.

CYF traveled with the girl's foster parents to Virginia to bring her back to Chester County.