Amber Alert canceled after 3 young children and their babysitter were located in Hawthorne

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- An Amber Alert was canceled Sunday afternoon after three young girls who were reported missing along with their babysitter were located, the California Highway Patrol said.

According to the alert issued by the CHP on behalf of the Inglewood Police Department, the girls -- ages 4, 6 and 8 -- and their 55-year-old babysitter were found.

Eyewitness News learned the children and the babysitter, Constance Franks, were found at a McDonald's restaurant in Hawthorne.

The family reportedly left the children with their regular babysitter on Friday, but they couldn't find her or the kids when they went to pick them up on Saturday. Franks had reportedly turned off her cellphone, making it more difficult to track her.

"Grateful for the community, and for the authorities, and for everybody's help," the children's mother said outside of the police station. "Thank you. God bless you all. Thank you. Thank you."

Police say the Amber Alert helped them tremendously within the hour -- getting a call quickly and finding the kids at the McDonald's.

"Within about 10 to 15 minutes of the Amber Alert, someone called in that they saw them at the McDonald's at Imperial and Hawthorne, in the city of Hawthrowne. They were with the babysitter, and she was feeding them, and everyone was fine," said. Det. Neal Cochran with Inglewood police. "Thus far, it does appear like she did have some sort of mental crisis that caused her to think she needed to leave with the children."

Police did not say yet what charges Franks might face.