ANDERSON, California — A Rogers woman accused of kidnapping eight children and taking them to California in October 2023 has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of interfering with a court-ordered custody arrangement, according to Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton.
According to the Rogers Police Department (RPD), on Oct. 17, 2023, eight of Trista Fullerton's children were taken from their foster homes and entered into the Arkansas Crime Information Center as "missing."
The next day, the RPD spoke to Fullerton's father, who allegedly told police she was taking the children out of state to "start a new life."
On the evening of Oct. 21, 2023, Northern California's Anderson Police Department (APD) reportedly received a call from a concerned resident who reported a woman displaying "bizarre behavior" while accompanied by six children.
On arrival, APD found a pickup truck with an Arkansas license plate, six children, and Fullerton.
Upon arresting Fullerton and taking the six nearby children to family services, Fullerton reportedly told police where two other children were located.
Deputies with California's Shasta County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) located both kids, officials said.
APD said that although Fullerton is the biological mother of all the children, she had lost her custodial rights before taking the children from their foster homes.
Police say that Fullerton was booked into the Shasta County Jail, and the children were released to nearby family services to be taken back to their foster homes in Arkansas.
5NEWS will update this story as more information about this case becomes available.
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