ROCKPORT, Maine — A 34-year-old Searsmont woman accused of kidnapping her four children two weeks ago was arrested Wednesday in Louisiana.
Candice Owens, also known as Candice Bouchard, was charged with four counts of criminal restraint by a parent and remains jailed in Louisiana while officials from both states work out details for her return to Maine.
The father of the children, ages 4 to 14, has recovered them and they are returning to Maine.
A criminal complaint, filed Tuesday in Rockland District Court, alleges Owens removed the children from Maine on Feb. 22, knowing she had no legal right and was trying to hide the children.
Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Baroody said once the woman waives her right to contest extradition or a Louisiana judge approves extradition, Owens will be brought back to Maine to face the charges.
Attorney Haley Hall of Rockland, who represents the father in the case, said Owens had supervised visitation rights when she left the state with the children during February school vacation. Owens’ mother was the person approved for supervising the visits, but Owens took the children for a ride without her mother and failed to return, Hall said.
The father, who has custody of the children, went to the Rockport Police Department as soon as he learned she had left the state.
“Reuniting this father with his children was very much a concerted effort,” Hall said. “There is no way this could have been achieved without the tireless efforts of Jeff Baroody and Lynn Talbot at the (district attorney’s) office and Mark Kelley of Rockport Police Department. They were just amazing.”
Hall said the woman’s new husband has family in Louisiana and that is believed to be why she went there. The location of the children was discovered after one of the older children sent a text message to her father with a photograph showing what was outside of the hotel. The attorney said she then was able to use Google Earth to compare the background against the photograph and locate the family.
The attorney said she was in daily contact with Baroody and that once it was determined Owens and the children were in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, the sheriff’s office in that parish was contacted.
Officers from the Rapides Parish arrested Owens at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Value Place Motel in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Hall said the father has received temporary sole custody of the children and he is seeking this to become permanent.
Hall said she is still looking into whether Owens’ mother, who was supposed to be supervising the visit, has any liability in the case. Baroody said there are not enough facts available yet to determine whether there is any culpability on the part of Owens mother.
Criminal restraint by a parent is a Class C offense that carries a maximum of five years in prison.