A Louisiana woman accused of kidnapping her two children from their father’s home surrendered to Florida authorities on Friday.
Shawntel Nicole Heck, 38, of Ponchatoula, is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail, according to online booking records. She is being held on warrants of simple kidnapping and unauthorized use of a vehicle from Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, WDSU reported. Both are felonies.
Heck contacted deputies on Friday evening and said she was tired of running and wanted to surrender, WEAR reported.
Heck was sought by authorities after Louisiana State Police issued an Amber Alert on Wednesday. She was accused of taking Kaesyn Heck, 8, and Jax Matthews, 4, from their father’s maroon 2013 Hyundai Elantra momentarily on March 2 while he went to retrieve a tool from the shed located in the back of his home, WSDU reported.
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Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Jimmy Travis confirmed that a good Samaritan picked up Heck, who was stranded on the side of the road, WDSU reported. She asked to be taken to the home of the boys’ father, WWL reported.
At a news conference last week, Travis said Heck stole the car with the children inside. The boys were later found in Milton on the Florida Panhandle, WEAR reported.
Deputies in Santa Rosa County spotted the stolen SUV in Milton and found Heck with the boys nearby, WVUE reported. She fled into a nearby wooded area while they were focused on the children, the television station reported.
Heck is from the Milton area, Travis said last week. Her Facebook page lists her hometown as East Milton, Florida.