JUNE 2, 2026, UPDATE:

The Carson City Sheriff's Office, in a joint press conference with the U.S Marshals Service, says the suspect in the abduction of a five-year-old girl, Christopher Meithof, had been in Carson City over the weekend, despite being on parole in Oregon.

Meithof did not have permission to leave the state of Oregon.

As the investigation began, Sheriff Ken Furlong said they were able to get into indirect contact with the suspect.

"The suspect, who did admit that he did have the child, unfortunately, there was some level of resistance to turning the child back in, which did heighten our concerns for the welfare of the five-year-old," said Furlong.

Investigators continued to search for Amaya Meithof, and soon learned she had been taken to southern California by her father.

Through the U.S. Marshals Service, investigators were able to recover Amaya. They say she was with "an innocent bystander" at the time of recovery, and the suspect was in a nearby area. 

"Once the child was in our custody," said Furlong. "The Marshals Service was able to make contact with the suspect, who relinquished himself right there on the spot without any incident or injury."

The Sheriff's Office says this is the first AMBER Alert they've sent out in eight years. They say the process is complicated and passes through many hands and over to the Marshals, as well as through the court system, before it's released to the public.

Tips from the public, flock and traffic cameras, social media, and investigative tactics helped lead to the recovery of Amaya. She was not harmed in the abduction and has been reunited with her mother.

While the U.S. Marshals Service was the agency to physically take Meithof into custody, the investigation was led by the Carson City Sheriff's Office since they were the ones to issue the AMBER Alert.

JUNE 1, 3:30 P.M. UPDATE:

An AMBER Alert for a 5-year-old Carson City girl who was abducted by her father has been canceled after authorities located both the child and suspect in Southern California.

According to Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, the U.S. Marshals Service found 5-year-old Amaya Meithof and her father, Christopher Meithof, in Lancaster, California, located in Los Angeles County.

Authorities say Amaya was found safe and unharmed.

Christopher Meithof is now in custody.

The AMBER Alert was issued after authorities said Amaya was abducted from Carson City early Monday morning. Investigators believed Christopher Meithof had taken the child in a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and may have been traveling toward California.

Deputies arrived at a home on Loan Mountain Street in Carson City on Sunday and met with Crystal Rose, who advised that she had allowed Christopher Meithof to stay with her overnight, so he could visit their 5-year-old child.

Rose said when she woke up on Sunday morning, she discovered Christopher and the child were not at home.

After several hours of trying to contact Christopher and Amaya, she contacted the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies checked local traffic and Flock cameras and located Christopher’s Red Jeep Grand Cherokee driving southbound on U.S. 395 passing old Clear Creek Road.

Deputies tried to call Christopher, but his phone went straight to voicemail.

At around 2:15 p.m. on Monday the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Fugitive Task Force, the Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Division, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Bureau conducted a traffic stop in Palmdale, California, on a vehicle and recovered Amaya.

Christopher was not with her at the time she was found but was located and arrested at a residence near the traffic stop.

Amaya is in the care of Palmdale Child Protective Services, which will help facilitate her return to her mother.  

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Authorities have issued an AMBER Alert for a 5-year-old girl abducted from Carson City. 

NDOT says Amaya Meithof was abducted by her father Christopher Meithof near 2021 Lone Mountain #15 in Carson City around 4:30 a.m.  

The suspect is driving a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee license plate: 576 QNU Oregon plate.

Christopher is 41-years old, 6'0" tall and weighs 170 pounds. 

The only description released so far for Amaya is that she's white.

They may be headed to Southbound Quartz Hill, California.

The child is known to have common allergies.

If you see them, call 911. 

The Carson City Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals are both working this case.