Teresa May Arias
HIGHLAND – A seven-year-old daughter was re-united with her parents and her 63-year-old grandmother was taken into custody on charges that she kidnapped the girl on Tuesday.
Teresa May Arias left word with Jasmine Felix’s parents that she was never going to bring her home. The case broke a little over 24 hours later.
Felix was found when a restaurant owner, noting a handmade flyer distributed by Jasmine’s parents, spotted the grandmother and granddaughter in his restaurant.
George Tsakanias, owner of Samos Burgers at 701 South Garey Ave. in Pomona, saw the flyer. “He immediately recognized Teresa Arias and Jasmine Felix as being in the restaurant earlier in the day,” said Detective Matt Mayer, of the Highland Police Dept.
Tsakanias began driving through the area looking for both Felix and Arias, said Mayer, eventually locating them at an apartment complex on the 500 block of East Phillips Blvd. in Pomona.
According to reports, Tsakanias lost sight of them and called Pomona police, who responded to the area. Officer found Arias and Felix walking on Phillips Boulevard, near Garey Street.
They detained Arias, contacted Highland city detectives and awaited a response, eventually re-uniting Felix with her family.
Arias reportedly took Jasmine Felix, 7, from her Highland home in the early evening hours on Tuesday. She had been left in Arias’ care while her parents went to work. When they returned home, they discovered neither was at the residence.
Felix lived with her parents on the 6600 block of Victoria Avenue.
About one hour later, said Mayer, “Jasmine’s parents received a phone call from Teresa stating she took Jasmine from the residence and was never going to bring her back.”
It was originally believed that Arias was in the Pomona area and trying to raise bus fare for a trip to the Central California city of Madera.
Arias was questioned and eventually booked on kidnapping charges with bail originally set at $1 million, according to jail records. It has since been reduced to $500,000. She was being held at West Valley Detention Center. She is due in San Bernardino Superior Court on Friday.
