SB Sheriff's deputies find Fresno runaways

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Local Sheriff’s deputies picked up three young runaways from Fresno County after authorities tracked the trio to the Santa Barbara area yesterday afternoon.
Three sisters, aged 13, 7 and 2, took off in a blue Ford Taurus station wagon from the Fresno suburb of Clovis early Monday afternoon, authorities said, prompting officials to issue a statewide alert after their uncle reported them missing.

After checking activity on a gas card the 13-year-old swiped before hitting the road, officers determined the trio had stopped off in Burbank at around 8 p.m. on Monday before winding up at a Santa Barbara gas station at 8:30 a.m. yesterday, Fresno Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Curtice said.
“Two of our detectives went out to that area and located the girls,” Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Sgt. Alex Tipolt said. “…They were fine and we took them into our protective custody, gave them food and water, and let them do some coloring and watch cartoons.”
Fresno law enforcement officers arrived late yesterday afternoon to pick up the young fugitives. While he doesn’t know what prompted the sisters to run away from home, Deputy Curtice said the 25 officers who stayed up all night trying to track down the girls are happy they are safe and sound.
“That was the number one thing,” he said. “Now the thing is to find out why they ran away.”
Their uncle, who has custody of the children, told KFSN-TV in Fresno that he had asked the eldest sister to tidy up the house while he took their mother home, and returned to find them missing.
“At this point, I’m not mad,” he told KFSN-TV. “They’re OK. That’s the main thing.”