Dad accused of killing girlfriend and abducting son is arrested, CA officials say

A father has been arrested after California officials said he abducted his 2-year-old son.

Celestine Stoot Jr., 42, was taken in custody Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas without incident, and his 2-year-old son, Celestine Stoot III, was found unharmed, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement said they will reunite the toddler with his family.

The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert on Monday night for the toddler, who was last seen in Lake Elsinore on Sunday and taken by his father, officials said.

Stoot was booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas and is awaiting extradition to Riverside County, authorities said.

Stoot was also identified as a suspect in the killing of his girlfriend and the toddler’s mother, Natasha Denise Barlow, 43, according to the sheriff’s department.

Deputies responded to a report of a dead woman in a Lakeland Village home and identified her as Barlow, officials said.

Stoot was believed to have fled the area with his son, according to authorities.

This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Dad accused of killing girlfriend and abducting son is arrested, CA officials say."