Menifee Mom Charged With Hiding Kids Following Police Chase To Mexico

MENIFEE, CA — A 41-year-old Menifee woman accused of fleeing with her two children during a child custody exchange and leading law enforcement officers on a pursuit into Mexico, where she eluded capture for one night, was charged Thursday with two counts of child concealing and other offenses.

Katheryn Rose Broersma was arrested by federal authorities Sunday at the San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego County.

Along with the child concealing counts, Broersma is charged with two counts of child endangerment and a misdemeanor count of violating a court order.

Broersma was slated to make her initial court appearance at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta Thursday afternoon.

She was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside. However, prosecutors are seeking to increase the bond requirement to $100,000.

According to Menifee police Capt. Heriberto Gutierrez, about 7 p.m. Saturday, Broersma met with relatives of her former partner, whose identity was not disclosed, in the 29000 block of Antelope Road, near Wendover Road, to return her 6- and 8-year-old kids to their father.

Gutierrez said that after the children were situated in the relatives' vehicle, Broersma jumped behind the wheel and sped away, prompting immediate calls to 911.

"Family members were able to track the suspect via her cell phone, and she was located in the area of the Interstate 215/60 freeway (interchange)," the captain said.

He said sheriff's deputies signaled the defendant to pull over, but she refused, "and a vehicle pursuit ensued."

"The vehicle traveled into the San Diego area, where officers from the Escondido Police Department took over the pursuit," Gutierrez said. "The suspect was able to evade officers when she crossed the border and entered into Mexico."

No effort was made to track the vehicle in Tijuana.

Gutierrez said U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were alerted to the alleged parental abduction and advised that Broersma might attempt to re- enter the country, which she did on Sunday morning.

The captain said agents stopped the vehicle at the border crossing about 8 a.m. and took the defendant into custody without incident. The children, who were uninjured, were returned to their father the same day.

Broersma has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.