Police say Frederick woman arrested after fleeing Texas with children

Jul. 7—A Frederick woman was taken into custody Wednesday after fleeing Texas with her children, for refusing to comply with court orders to return the children to their father, officials said.

Amanda Lynn Shaw, 32, was being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center until officials from Harris County, Texas, come to take her, according to a press release from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.

The two children were safely recovered and returned to their father, who had flown in from Texas earlier on Wednesday.

In December 2021, Shaw received custody of her children following a divorce with the children's father, the release said. Later that month, Shaw failed to return custody to her former spouse, violating a court decree.

Shaw continuously evaded attempts to resolve the custody exchange and service of court paperwork, the release said.

In late February 2022, Shaw texted her former spouse that she wouldn't comply with the custody exchange and that he would never see his children again, the release said. In April, a Texas court awarded the father custody of the children, while denying Shaw custody of and access to them.

Harris County consequently issued a felony arrest warrant for Shaw and entered the two children into the national missing persons database as critically missing, the release said.

Texas investigators later learned Shaw was in or near the Frederick area, which is when the sheriff's office took over the case.

With further investigation, the sheriff's office later found her with the children at a residence on Ironsides Drive in Frederick, the release said. She was taken into custody without incident at a restaurant in the 5000 block of Buckeystown Pike.

Follow Clara Niel on Twitter: @clarasniel