Update

KCRA reported that the two children at the center of a California AMBER Alert have been found safe, with their father, Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, arrested.

The King’s County Sheriff’s Office says he’s currently facing kidnapping and homicide charges.

Initial Coverage

Police in California are searching for two children allegedly abducted by their father, sparking an AMBER Alert following their mother’s death.

An AMBER Alert was issued by the California Highway Patrol on Wednesday for 3-year-old Arya Maldonado and her 2-year-old sister, Alana, after their mother was discovered dead in their home on Tuesday. Authorities suspect that their 23-year-old father, Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, took the children following their mother’s murder.

According to FOX News Digital, deputies stated that Maldonado-Cruz left the residence with his daughters, whom he had with the deceased mother, driving away in a gray 2020 Hyundai Elantra with four doors and a California license plate that reads “8LZD084.”

The children’s mother was found shot dead inside the home. On Wednesday, a spokesperson with the Kings County Sheriff’s Office said that they were not yet releasing the mother’s  name.

Cruz is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 215 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair, according to the AMBER Alert.

Arya Maldonado stands 3 feet tall and weighs 25 pounds. Alana stands 2 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds. Both girls have brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 911 immediately.

[Feature Photos via California Highway Patrol]