'Bizarre behavior' tip leads to rescue of 8 abducted children: police

Trista Fullerton, of Arkansas, allegedly abducted her 8 biological children before she was caught in California

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California police rescued eight abducted Arkansas children after receiving a tip about a "woman displaying bizarre behavior" shortly after midnight on Saturday.

Responding officers found Trista Fullerton, 36, and six children in the parking lot of an Anderson, California, convenience store.

There was an arrest warrant out for Fullerton after she allegedly took her eight biological children from foster families, police said.

Fullerton, a resident of Rogers, Arkansas, who lost custodial rights to her kids, told officers where the other two children were, and law enforcement found them safe. 

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bizarre behavior tip leads to rescue of 8 abducted children police

Trista Fullerton, 36, allegedly abducted her eight biological children from their foster placements, Anderson police said. (Anderson Police Department)

The kids were reunited with their foster families, police said.

Fullerton was arrested on the fugitive from justice warrant and is being held without bail in the Shasta County Jail, according to inmate records. 

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"The Anderson Police Department would like to thank the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case, and thank the alert citizen who reported the incident," police said in a statement. 

bizarre behavior tip leads to rescue of 8 abducted children police

A police tip about a "woman displaying bizarre behavior" led police to this store where they found eight abducted children. (Anderson Police Department)

bizarre behavior tip leads to rescue of 8 abducted children police

Inside a messy white pickup truck that Trista Fullerton drove after she allegedly abducted her eight biological children from their foster placements. (Anderson Police Department)

History of domestic violence

Before this weekend, Fullerton was arrested on charges of domestic battery and violating a no contact order with the children's father in June 2021, according to court records. 

Fullerton "knowing and with the purpose of causing physical injury to a family or household member, caused physical injury to a family or household member, after having been previously convicted of Domestic Battery in the Third Degree," June 2021 charging documents say.

She ultimately pleaded guilty in July 2022 and was sentenced to four years of probation, court records show.

Chris Eberhart is a crime and US news reporter for Fox News Digital. Email tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter @ChrisEberhart48.

Authored by Chris Eberhart via FoxNews October 22nd 2023