An Irvine mother was arrested Saturday after allegedly abducting her two children and attempting to flee to Copenhagen, according to the Irvine Police Department.
Shahrzad Talieh, 45, and her 8-year-old twins, Pasha Dejbakhsh and Shiraz Dejbakhsh, all of whom are U.S. citizens, were located Saturday morning in Canoga Park, where a friend of the mother lived, police stated. The children were said to be safe and unharmed.
Police had earlier asked for the public’s help locating the three after Talieh allegedly picked up her son and daughter about 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Portola Springs Elementary School.
Talieh, an unemployed attorney who previously worked as a child-advocacy lawyer in Los Angeles County, was in the process of a divorce from her estranged husband, who reported the alleged kidnapping, according to the news release.
The couple shared custody of the two children, and she was said to have picked them up on a day she was not supposed to.
Police said there had been “no reports or indication of physical abuse by either party,” but also added that the woman’s family and friends “were concerned for the safety of the children based on Talieh’s deteriorating mental health and possible substance abuse.”
Detectives learned on Friday that Talieh had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase tickets from the Los Angeles International Airport to Copenhagen, police said.
Her vehicle was located at the airport, but police said they determined the three had not boarded any flights and had left the area.
The three were later located at the Canoga Park residence, and Talieh was arrested and expected to be booked at an Orange County jail on charged of deprivation of custody of a child.
The children were released into their father’s custody.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact Irvine Police Department by phone at 949-724-7394 or Sgt. Kyle Turner via email at KTurner@cityofirvine.org.