Father of rescued 2-year-old dies in SWAT standoff after allegedly abducting toddler in Kern County

LAMONT, Calif. (KABC) -- A 2-year-old boy was found safe Sunday night after an Amber Alert was issued and his alleged abductor, the boy's father, died during a standoff with SWAT after exchanging gunfire with deputies in Kern County, authorities said.

The boy, Elias Vidal, was found at about 11:10 p.m., nearly three hours after he was last seen near Florence Street and Ralph Avenue in Lamont, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, 36-year-old Javier Vidal, was found about 15 minutes later in the 2900 block of Taft Highway and exchanged gunfire with deputies. Vidal was declared deceased at the scene around 4 a.m., several hours after the boy was found. No deputies were injured.

The Amber Alert was issued after authorities initially responded to a residence in the 7800 block of Florence Street due to a reported shooting and found a 34-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, who was seven months pregnant, was transported to a hospital where she later died, according to authorities. The infant appears to have been saved and was being treated at the hospital.

The woman's relationship to the toddler was not immediately known.

CHP deactived the Amber Alert issued for Kern, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties close to midnight after Elias Vidal was located.

The vehicle the child and his father were believed to be traveling in was described as a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse, gray in color with a California license plate 4YDA136.