Sheriff's deputies spent all night and most of the morning looking for the two children. Now that they are safe, the teenager has some explaining to do.
The joy was sensational for the Rodeo family and friends of 7-month-old Taylyn Galloway and her cousin 13-year-old Monice Anderson.
"Her and the baby are safe. We're happy," said relative Denise Denster.
"The sheriffs did a fantastic job," said Taylyn's uncle Zaydoc Bratton.
Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies reunited baby Taylyn with her mother after disappearing around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
"I feel great, I got my baby, I feel good," said Taylyn's mother Lashantae Mason.
Family members say the teen was told she could go visit another cousin nearby with the baby. She left walking on California Street, pushing the infant in a stroller, but never showed up. After an all night search, deputies finally picked up the two girls, safe in a nearby city.
"What transpired was some behind the scenes communication with family members. It led to Monice and the 7-month-old going to a designated location in the city of Pinole," said Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee.
Investigators say their task now is to find out where the teen went Wednesday night and why she took the baby with her.
"There's still a lot more work for us to do. We'll be interviewing the 13-year-old, and there was another person with her, just to find out exactly what happened. It's way too early to talk about any possible charges," said Lee.
Obviously there is a lot of joy now that the two cousins are back safe, but Contra Costa County Sheriff's investigators say this is still a serious situation, and they will be talking to the adult man who was with the teen and her baby cousin. It's unclear yet whether he will face any charges.
