Carrie Weingarth, South Florida Mother Accused of Taking Kids, Out of Jail

The South Florida mother accused of taking her three sons across the country without permission was back home Tuesday after posting bond

The South Florida mother accused of taking her three sons across the country without permission was back home Tuesday after posting bond.

Carrie Weingarth is charged with custody interference for taking the children to California last month. She had initially been ordered held on $300,000 bond but the amount was eventually reduced, and she was released sometime overnight.

At a Tuesday press conference, Weingarth spoke to the media about the situation.

"I just miss my kids and I want them back in my arms," she said. "I just want to see my kids."

The private investigator handing her case, Joe Carrillo, sent out a photo of he and Weingarth hugging.

"This case needs to be dropped," Carrillo said. "There is no crime here. How is it that everybody else sees that and they don't see that?"

Weingarth became the subject of a multi-state search after Miami-Dade Schools Police say she walked into Gulfstream Elementary School on Feb. 14 and without authorization from school officials or her kids' father took their 12-year-old son and disappeared along with his two brothers.

Days later, Weingarth and her boyfriend were arrested in Barstow, California, and the children were returned to their father, Steven Pena.

At a hearing earlier this month, Weingarth's attorneys claimed Pena is not really the boys' father. The children are still in Pena's custody.

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