Missing San Juan County Child Found in California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/19/26
San Juan County, NM – A missing child from San Juan County has been found alive and well in California following a complex investigation that involved a parent charged with custodial interference.
In October 2025, Stephen West reported that he had not seen his 2 year-old son in over a year after the child’s mother, Crystal Salazar, took him on vacation out of state in September 2024. Mr. West started a child custody case in 2024 and was awarded primary custody by the court in early 2025 before reporting the child as missing in October 2025. A warrant was issued for Ms. Salazar with the charge of Custodial Interference, a 4th degree felony.
A complex investigation began, tracking Ms. Salazar across multiple states with cooperation from several law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, that concluded last week when Ms. Salazar was arrested on her warrant and the child was returned to New Mexico where he is now with Mr. West.
"The safe recovery of this child is the result of strong coordination between law-enforcement partners across multiple states. We are grateful for the work of the investigators who followed this lead and ensured this child could be safely reunited with his family," said David Barnett, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following agencies for their collaboration that aided in bringing this child home to his legal guardian:
NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
US Marshal’s Service
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations)
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Gang Unit
Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Child Abduction Unit
State of Nevada Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Justice – Human Trafficking/Missing Children’s Unit
City of Henderson Nevada Police Department
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office and Gang Unit
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Click – San Juan County Sheriff’s Office
clickr@sjcso.com
505-334-7027
