Missing Montana mother and man arrested in Texas
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Police in Texas arrested the Montana mother missing for two weeks on Friday.
The Arlington Texas Police Department reports Shaila Thomas, 22, and Bryce Baltezar, 25 were arrested at a hotel after an officer spotted a stolen car. Authorities in Montana announced earlier this month they were looking for Thomas when she failed to show up at a family gathering on July 3.
Arlington Police spokesman Tim Ciesco tells EastIdahoNews.com the officer saw a blue Lexus G35 parked outside the hotel with a stolen Arizona license plate. After running a check on the car, it came back as stolen from California.
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“The officer went inside the hotel in an attempt to locate the individuals who had driven the car to the hotel,” Ciesco says. “A short time later, Ms. Thomas and Mr. Baltezar walked out of the hotel and started to make their way toward the vehicle. The officer approached them and began speaking with them.”
Police arrested Thomas for felony charges of unauthorized use of a car and fraud, according to the Arlington Police Department. Police picked up Baltezar on a felony warrant for leaving Montana while on conditional release from prison.
They were booked into jail around 10 a.m. Friday and Baltezar was then transferred to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas.
Hours before their arrest, Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement reported Thomas had been located safe.
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Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Undersheriff George Skuletich previously told EastIdahoNews.com no one had heard from Thomas and a man discovered her broken phone in a Dillon, Montana garbage can. Authorities believed Thomas might have been with Baltezar and expressed concern over previous domestic violence incidents.
While police only listed Thomas as missing, both families expressed concern for their wellbeing and desire for them to return home. A few hours after Thomas disappeared, Baltezar’s phone pinged near Spencer, Idaho.