Woman accused of kidnapping daughter

A Huntington Beach woman accused of kidnapping her 4-year-old daughter from a Newport Beach restaurant is expected to be arraigned Wednesday morning.

Angela Marie Aiton, 34, will be charged with felony child stealing and a sentencing enhancement for a 2005 prior conviction for residential burglary, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Aiton faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

Aiton had dinner May 28 with her daughter and her daughter’s foster father at the Cheesecake Factory in Fashion Island.

Aiton lost custody of her daughter in March and allegedly pretended to take her to the restroom to sneak out of the restaurant.

She is accused of leaving the restaurant and taking her daughter in her black Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The foster father called the police after about 10 minutes and an AMBER alert was sent out.

Aiton was spotted the next afternoon going southbound on the 405 Freeway toward the 90 Freeway by a passing car. She was arrested and her daughter was taken back into custody.

She is expected to be arraigned at 10 a.m. Wednesday in courtroom CJ-1 in Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

— Britney Barnes