Authorities announced at about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday that the kids were found safe.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department said at approximately 10:30 a.m. a friend of the children's mother who was unaware of the abduction until she saw an alert from Palmdale Sheriff Station returned all three children to the LAPD-Southeast Division.
Palmdale detectives were looking for the mother, Nisshawn Murphy, who they said abducted her three children Monday morning. They said the woman had no parental rights. Murphy, 39, was ordered by a court to relinquish her parental rights due to several criminal convictions.
Nisshawn Murphy was still outstanding Wednesday evening. Murphy is described as a 39-year-old black female with black hair and brown eyes. Murphy is approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. Clothing description was not immediately known.
Investigators say the children -- 10-year-old Matisse Murphy, 4-year-old Bryan Murphy and 4-year-old Treasure Murphy -- were taken by Murphy, their biological mother, around 8:50 a.m. on Monday outside of a foster home in Palmdale.
Investigators said Murphy made several trips to the Antelope Valley from South Los Angeles Monday and Tuesday. She was believed to be driving her 2003 white Ford Explorer with the California license plate: 6VZX199.
Palmdale officials had first said that an Amber Alert was issued Tuesday, but later clarified it was classified as a parental abduction.
Anyone with information related to the case was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Palmdale station at (661) 272-2477.
