52°
Vanessa Gutshall, 37, was taken into custody after a routine traffic stop in Fairfax County around noon on Thursday, Oct. 28, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said in a release.
Authorities sought Gutshall after she and her daughter, 6-year-old Zoe Moss, disappeared from a court-ordered, supervised visit at East Ward Elementary School on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
State police issued an Amber Alert for Moss, who they said was "at risk of harm or injury," though they did not describe their reasoning.
On Thursday morning, officials said the pair were spotted in the Harrisburg area. Less than two hours later, police in Virginia were pulling over Gutshall's Volkswagen, according to the DA.
Moss was discovered in the back seat hidden under a pile of blankets, prosecutors said. She did not appear injured, but will still undergo a medical evaluation before she is reunited with her foster parents in Chester County, they added.
Gutshall is charged with kidnapping and will be extradited to Pennsylvania after she is arraigned, authorities said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Drexel Hill-Upper Darby and receive free news updates.
