Two AMBER Alert girls found safe, suspect in custody after police find their mother dead

Two Texas girls were found safe on Wednesday in Colorado, with the man who’s a person of interest in their mother’s death.

KKTV11 reports that a Las Animas County officer spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the car associated with an active AMBER Alert, issued from Texas earlier in the week. The man driving the vehicle matched the description of Terry Miles, 44, the suspect authorities have been looking for in connection with the death of 44-year-old Tonya Bates, and the abduction of her two daughters, ages 14 and 7.

When the officer attempted to pull Miles over, the suspect reportedly started driving erratically, causing the officer to wait for back up. Once additional officers arrived, they performed a “high-risk traffic stop,” in which they successfully pulled the suspect over and took him into custody. The two girls, unharmed, were inside the vehicle. Officers arrested the suspect without incident.

The Round Rock Police Department in Texas said that both girls were taken for a medical checkup to rule out any issues. Authorities are now working on returning them to Texas to reunite with family. Texas investigators plan to fly out to Colorado on Thursday to take their girls into their custody and arrange the girls’ trip back to their home state.

Authorities received a tip from an assistant manager and employees at a gas station in Trinidad, CO., after spotting Miles’ vehicle. The workers contacted authorities and provided the responding officers with photos after spotting the suspect in the store several times during the week.

“We get people in here [the gas station] all the time so you don’t really know what people do or what they are capable of,“ gas station assistant manager Gail Larsen told KKTV. “When everybody found out what was going on and that he was in the store, everybody really came together and started looking.”

Miles was the roommate of Bates. He’s not currently charged with her death, but charges could be upgraded as the investigation continues.

Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: Terry Allen Miles, Lilianais Victoria Cake Griffith, 14, and Luluvioletta Mariposo Bandera-Margaret/Round Rock PD]