8 children abducted from Arkansas foster homes by biological mother, smuggled across the country

Eight children were allegedly kidnapped from their Arkansas foster homes and smuggled across the country by their biological mother before they were found safe in California Saturday.

Police officers discovered Trista Fullerton and six of her kids in a parking lot around 12:30 a.m. Saturday after a concerned citizen called 911 to report a woman “displaying bizarre behavior,” authorities said.

Fullerton, who lost custody of her kids, drove through multiple states with them to evade authorities and reach northern California, Anderson police said.

The mother and children reportedly traveled in a trash-filled Dodge pickup truck with an Arkansas license plate, which was parked in the lot, police said.

Officers responding to the 911 request for a welfare check arrived at the lot and soon identified Fullerton, 36 — realizing she had an active warrant for her arrest in the state of Arkansas. She was wanted for allegedly abducting her eight children from their foster homes after she lost custody of them, Anderson police said.  

Fullerton — who has a criminal history including domestic battery charges — was arrested at the scene and investigators interviewed her about where her two other children were, police said.

The two kids were later found at a home in the Cottonwood area with the help of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

Fullerton, of Rogers, Arkansas, was booked in Shasta County jail in connection to her arrest warrant, Anderson police said.

It’s unclear how long Fullerton was with her children following the alleged kidnappings.

The children were released to Shasta County Children and Family Services so they could be reunited with guardians in Arkansas.