A 3-month-old infant abducted by his mother in Northern California has been found safe three days after an AMBER Alert was issued, ending a frantic search that spanned multiple counties and involved federal authorities.

Three-Day Search Ends in Westwood

Maxence Sirois disappeared Sunday afternoon when his mother, 42-year-old Marina Kazakova, allegedly violated a court-ordered custody agreement by refusing to return the infant to his father on June 30. Authorities tracked Kazakova’s vehicle, a white 2016 Mazda CX-5, from Northern California through Kern County before discovering it abandoned in a federal building parking lot on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood. Neither Kazakova nor the child were with the vehicle when police located it, but both were found shortly after in the area.

The infant’s father, Christian Sirois, confirmed the safe recovery on his Facebook page Wednesday, posting in both English and French that his son had been located unharmed. Kazakova was taken into custody by authorities, and the child was prepared for reunification with his father. The 5-foot-6, 128-pound woman with brown hair and brown eyes now faces potential criminal charges related to the abduction and custody violation.

Court Order Violation Sparks Alert

The incident began when Kazakova failed to comply with a court-mandated custody arrangement requiring her to return the infant to Sirois by June 30. The violation prompted immediate action from law enforcement, who issued an AMBER Alert to help locate the missing child. The alert system, designed for the most serious child abduction cases, mobilized resources across California and urged citizens to contact 911 if they spotted either Kazakova or the infant. Records show Kazakova is originally from Russia and had listed herself as separated on social media.

Gaming Industry Connection

Christian Sirois works as a Senior Technical Artist for Epic Games, the company behind the massively popular game Fortnite. His career in the video game industry spans nearly two decades, including extensive work with Ubisoft on major franchises like Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, and Rainbow Six. The self-taught 3D artist previously worked for Sledgehammer Games on several Call of Duty titles. Old social media photos show Sirois and Kazakova together before their separation, highlighting the personal tragedy behind the custody dispute that led to the abduction.