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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, September 17, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 20, 2004 Five-month-old safe in Chico Amber Alert canceled after mother turns herself in to California Highway Patrol By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A woman who took her 5-month-old son from his father’s Shady Cove home Friday morning turned herself over to police in Chico, Calif., when she caught wind of an Amber Alert issued for herself and her baby. Ashley Garabrandt, 20, was taken into custody at a California Highway Patrol office in Chico about 2:10 p.m. with her child, Anthony Pintarelli, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters said. Jackson County officials activated an Amber Alert after Pintarelli family members reported about 8:30 a.m. that Garabrandt took the baby boy, but left behind medical equipment he needed for a respiratory illness. The family told investigators that she didn’t put Anthony in a child-safety seat and had threatened to harm him and his father, Michael Pintarelli, in the past, sheriff’s Detective Colin Fagan said. Amber Alerts, bulletins distributed through radio and television broadcasts and electronic highway signs on abductors and kidnapped children thought to be in danger, usually are issued in cases of stranger abductions, Fagan said. Officials activated the alert system Friday because they feared Anthony could be harmed, even though he was with his mother, who has legal custody of the child. "We were worried about the threats and about his medical condition," Winters said. Advertisement Fagan said Garabrandt and Pintarelli had moved to the Rogue Valley a few weeks ago and were living with his family. Police records list Garabrandt’s address in Marysville, Calif., where her mother lives. Police placed Garabrandt on a mental health hold at Rogue Valley Medical Center March 9 and she was released March 10. The hold wasn’t related to threats against her child, Fagan said. Investigators discovered Friday that Garabrandt feared that Pintarelli wanted custody, so she planned to take the baby. They didn’t find any court filings related to custody of the child. Joe Pintarelli, the baby’s grandfather, said Michael and Anthony were staying at his Shady Cove home and Garabrandt was staying with other family members. She visited Anthony Friday morning before going to work at Wal-Mart. While holding the baby, she noted that she had left her car running, went to the Nissan Maxima, but instead of shutting off the engine, got in and drove away. Joe Pintarelli followed. "When I got to White City, I just couldn’t drive anymore, so I pulled into the Shop ‘N Kart and called the sheriff," he said. As Garabrandt fled into California Friday, she heard about the Amber Alert and decided to turn herself in. She called her mother, who came to Chico with two friends, and they all accompanied her to the CHP office, California officials said. The child, who was buckled into a child-safety seat when they arrived, was fine and law enforcement officials in California were interviewing Garabrandt Friday afternoon, Winters said. The Jackson County District Attorney will review the case to see if Garabrandt should face charges of recklessly endangering another or custodial interference, Winters said. Child-protective services in California and Oregon also likely will review the case to see where the child should be placed, officials said. Winter pleased with response Friday’s response to a report of a baby boy taken from his father’s Shady Cove home was Jackson County’s first activation of its Amber Alert system and officials are pleased with the results. "It’s pretty remarkable that within six hours the baby and mother were safely in custody," Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters said. When the abduction was reported, the county turned a board room in the old courthouse into a call center to take tips the public phoned in as the alert went out over roadside electronic signs and broadcast media. They activated a major-crimes task force to follow every lead, he said. The sheriff’s department, Oregon State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and police departments from Shady Cove, Central Point, Medford, Talent and Ashland joined the effort. Winters said he was pleased with the way agencies in two states worked together to protect a child. He plans a review of how the system worked and what the various agencies learned to improve the process. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities