Mom charged after missing girl found

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Authorities say a domestic violence incident occurred the night before a Texas mother and daughter went missing.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. Sunday, New Mexico State Police Officers located 11-year-old Jessica Smith and her mother, Kimberly Smith, 42, in their car nine miles South of Tres Piedras, New Mexico.

Why the two were on the run is still unclear.

Police say they do not have any family or friends in the area so they aren't sure why they came to New Mexico in the first place.

Authorities say Jessica did not appear to be physically injured and was very happy to be found at the time she was located.

Kimberly is currently in jail in Santa Fe.

Police say Jessica is in CYFD custody waiting to go home.

“She's going to come back to her grandparents until all of the legal issues are resolved which we hope will be early next week Monday or Tuesday but certainly Wednesday at the latest,” Tom Pappas their families attorney said.

Jessica and Kimberly disappeared from Fort Worth, Texas Tuesday Feb. 7, and an Amber Alert was issued there after the girl didn't show up for school. Tips were called into Albuquerque police on last week, but none turned up the girl or her mother.

News reports in Dallas-Fort Worth indicate Jessica and had been talking with a counselor at school about problems at home and that her father was arrested in October and charged with child sex abuse.

An older sister told reporters their mother apparently didn't want Jessica talking to the counselor, but police aren't saying why the pair had disappeared.

(Read witness statements in Kimberly Smith's arrest warrant .  PDF document from KRQE.com)

Police in Texas say Kimberly Smith has a history of mental illness and that was enough reasoning to send out an amber alert to find them.

Kimberly will eventually be extradited to Fort Worth on her two felony warrants; aggravated assault and endangering a child.