ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (WCCO/AP) — Police say a toddler who was taken by her armed, non-custodial father in St. Louis Park has been found safe.

Authorities say the father took the 17-month-old girl from her home and assaulted the child’s mother Thursday night. The woman told police he was armed with a pistol and threatened to kill the girl and himself.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued an Amber Alert which said the father was driving a Ford Expedition with South Carolina license plates and a temporary vehicle registration sticker. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says 31-year-old George Jermaine Rutledge kidnapped Nahla Sky Rutledge. George Rutledge is the girl’s non-custodial father, and he assaulted the girl’s mother during the abduction, authorities say.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Steve Murphy Reports

St. Louis Park police said Friday morning the man and toddler were found in Blaine. The toddler is OK and is being returned to her mother. Her father, who does not have custody rights, is in jail.

Since Minnesota introduced the system in 2001, there has been a 100% success rate in child recovery after an Amber Alert is issued.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Steve Murphy Reports

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