Woman denies kidnapping daughter

A Huntington Beach woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to kidnapping her 4-year-old daughter from a Newport Beach restaurant, prosecutors said.

Angela Marie Aiton, 34, is charged with felony child stealing and a sentencing enhancement for a 2005 prior conviction for residential burglary, prosecutors said. The court also approved a protective order Wednesday prohibiting any contact with her daughter.

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 pretended to take her to the restroom to sneak out of the restaurant, prosecutors say.

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 southbound on the 405 Freeway toward the 90 Freeway. She was arrested, and her daughter was taken back into custody. She is expected to be back in court June 11 for a preliminary hearing.

— Britney Barnes