CASE OF INTEREST

Date: October 3, 2003
Case: People v Stephanie Elizabeth Sims, 98F06895
Contact: Alfonso M. Cedillo, Deputy District Attorney
Telephone: (916) 874-8750

Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that a 5-year manhunt for 37-year-old Stephanie Elizabeth Sims ended with her arrest by the Scranton Police Department in the State of Pennsylvania. Sims was a wanted fugitive on criminal charges for Parental Child Abduction, which were filed by the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office in August of 1998.

Deputy District Attorney Alfonso Cedillo indicated that suspect Sims, using a ruse, abducted her then 4-year-old daughter during a supervised visitation at McKinley Park pool on August 4, 1998. The District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit launched a manhunt for the capture of suspect Sims that has involved multiple law enforcement agencies in different states, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, media coverage on programs such as America’s Most Wanted, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Members of the District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit traveled to Pennsylvania on October 1st. The now nine year child was located in an apparent healthy condition physically and was returned to California and to the father’s custody in accordance with the court custody orders in place.

As is the policy of the District Attorney, no information regarding the location of the father or child will be disclosed in order to protect the child and family during this critical time of reunification, which can often be very emotionally stressful.

Stephanie Sims remains in custody in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition proceedings to return her to California to face charges in Sacramento.

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