LĪHU‘E, KAUA‘I — Lori Vallow, the 47-year-old woman wanted by authorities in Idaho in connection to the September disappearance of her two children, was arrested in Hawaii on Thursday.
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Vallow, under investigation by the Rexburg Police Department, was arrested by the Kaua'i Police Department on a warrant issued by Madison County, Idaho.
–Kaua‘i police arrest Lori Vallow on $5 million warrant from Idaho– pic.twitter.com/n2ghadtfal
— Kaua'i Police Department (@kauaipd) February 21, 2020
She's facing multiple charges, including two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, police said in a statement. Her bail has been set at $5 million.
The maximum sentence on each count of desertion of a child under Idaho law is 14 years in prison, according to Madison County prosecuting attorney Rob Wood.
Her children, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow, have been missing about five months. She failed to comply with a court order to produce them in Madison County by Jan. 30.
In a Skype interview overnight with "GMA," Larry Woodcock, grandfather Joshua Vallow said the news of Lori Vallow's arrest is bittersweet.
"We know it's a positive step forward. We also know that as good as this news is, is as bad as it is also because we still don't have children," he said.
Vallow is scheduled to attend a court hearing in Kaua'i and be given the opportunity to waive or contest her extradition to Idaho, where she'd face criminal charges. A date for that hearing hasn't been set.
"First of all, we wish to thank the public for the massive outpouring of concern regarding this case," Kaua'i Chief of Police Todd G. Raybuck said in the statement Thursday. "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 also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt.
Her children were last seen in Idaho.
In a video obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, this video from a Rexburg, Idaho Ring doorbell camera shows last known video of JJ Vallow just days before his disappearance.
In the video from Sept. 17, 2019, JJ is playing in a yard of a townhome his mother, Lori Vallow rented. The video was captured just six days before JJ was last seen at Kennedy Elementary School in Rexburg. Following this, Vallow withdrew him and said she would homeschool him.
