Former Middle Tennessee teacher Tad Cummins has been arrested in northern California and Elizabeth Thomas, the 15-year-old girl authorities say he kidnapped, is safe, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Here is a timeline of the events:
March 13: Elizabeth Thomas, 15, and Tad Cummins, 50, of Middle, Tennessee, were last seen. Thomas was a student at Culleoka Unit School where Cummins was a teacher. Their last known location was Decatur, Alabama, where they were seen traveling in a silver Nissan Rogue. Cummins posts on Instagram.
March 14: Amber Alert issued on Thomas’ disappearance. Cummins is fired from his job, from which he was on suspension after allegations of a sexual interaction between Cummins and a minor.
March 17: Tad Cummins is posted on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top 10 most wanted list.
March 26: District Attorney General Brent Cooper urges the public to share Amber Alert information with friends and family south of the border. Cooper notes that with a 24-hour head start, Cummins could easily make it to Mexico. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation explores possibilities that the pair is hiding ‘off the grid’ or in Mexico.
April 19: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office finds the Nissan Rogue used by Cummins.
April 20: Cummins and Thomas found in Siskiyou County, an area that borders the Oregon state line.