Mother of missing Idaho children arrested In Hawaii

LIHU’E, Hawaii – Lori Vallow, the mother of two Idaho children who were reported missing in December, has been arrested, according to officials with the Kaua’i Police Department.

Officials said Vallow, 46, was arrested on a warrant issued by Madison County, Idaho, officials and was booked into jail Thursday afternoon on felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children.

Vallow was also charged with arrests and seizures – resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime and contempt of court – willful disobedience of court process or order, according to Kaua’i police.

Vallow is currently being held on a $5 million bail at the Kaua’i Police Department Cellblock. Police also confirmed her husband Chad Daybell was not arrested on Thursday.

#Breaking: @RexburgPolice confirm #LoriVallow has been arrested in #Hawaii. More details @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/Lu9APqPmoJ

— Garna Mejia (@GarnaMejiaKSL) February 21, 2020

“First of all, we wish to thank the public for the massive outpouring of concern regarding this case,” said Kaua‘i Chief of Police Todd G. Raybuck. “We also want to thank everyone for their patience while investigators worked diligently to comprehensively gather everything they needed in order to obtain this arrest warrant.”

Vallow’s children, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow have been missing since September.

Police said Vallow failed to comply with a court order to produce her children before Madison County officials on Jan. 30. The order was presented by Kaua’i police on Jan 25.

Vallow had been staying at the Kauai Beach Resort with Daybell when the FBI and local police executed a search warrant and seized the couple’s vehicle on Jan. 26. The couple was not taken into custody at that time.

JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were reported missing out of Rexburg, Idaho, in December and police said the children were last seen on Sept. 23.

Kaua’i police said the children were last seen in Idaho and there was no indication they are on the island and no criminal charges have been filed against Vallow on Kaua‘i as of Thursday.

Police said they had evidence indicating Lori Vallow knew what happened to the missing children, but she and Daybell abruptly fled Idaho instead of helping detectives on Dec. 30.

Daybell was being sought for questioning after Fremont County, Idaho, authorities deemed his previous wife’s death was suspicious. Her remains were exhumed in Springville, Utah, on Dec. 11.

Vallow attended a hearing in Hawaii Friday afternoon, where she decided to fight extradition to Idaho.

A Kaua’i Fifth Circuit Court judge confirmed Lori Vallow’s bail will remain at $5 million during the hearing.

Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob H. Wood said the maximum sentence on each count of desertion of a child under Idaho law is 14 years in prison.

Kaua’i police held a press conference regarding the case later Friday.