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THE parents of a seven-year-old boy allegedly kidnapped by his father's girlfriend hope the ordeal will not leave emotional scars.
Eric Kruger and Tammy Robinson, from Winchelsea, say they are nervously counting down the hours for their reunion with son Stephen later today, the Geelong Advertiser reports.
Stephen set to be reunited with his parents at Melbourne Airport later today.
Mr Kruger and Ms Robinson, who have two children together, expect to be reunited with Stephen at Melbourne Airport just after 7pm.
Earlier today, they could not hide their relief as they spoke about the past 48 hours.
Ms Robinson said she had been on an emotional roller coaster since her son was reported missing.
“It was nice to hear his voice. I spoke to him on the phone for half an hour and he burped in my ear and started laughing,'' she said.
“He was laughing uncontrollably and that's when I knew that that was my happy little boy.''
Mr Kruger said his main focus would be to make sure his son was OK.
“At the moment I don't know how he'll come out of it. I just hope it's not going to affect him later in life,'' he said.
The woman accused of abducting Steven, 36-year-old Danielle Boundy, was arrested by police in South Australia about 8pm yesterday.
Ms Boundy allegedly attacked Steven's father in the face with a knife outside a Ballarat service station, before driving more than 900km with the boy to a Port Augusta motel, where she was later arrested.
"To say they were pleased is just the ultimate understatement and to be separated from your child for nearly three days is something no one would wish upon anybody," Det Sgt Gerry Richardson said this morning.
"Steven is safe and well and in good spirits."
Victoria Police have sent two teams over to South Australia - one will make an application in Port Augusta Magistrates Court today for the extradition of Ms Boundy.
A second team will escort Steven back to Victoria for an emotional reunion with his relieved parents.
Police initially believed Ms Boundy was headed for Queensland, where it is believed she has family.
She was tracked to the Augusta Courtyard Motel last night.
"Danielle was arrested by police peacefully from the motel, Steven was in the motel with Danielle, he was in very good condition, there's no concerns for his welfare other than that he was with someone other than his parents," Det Sgt Richardson said.
"He's in good spirits, he's under the care of family services of South Australia and he will be handed to Victorian detectives at Adelaide."
"He wasn't harmed during the ordeal."
Steven's father suffered substantial facial injuries in the alleged attack.
Ms Boundy is expected to be charged with child stealing and assault and is likely to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
Augusta Courtyard Motel owner Michael told the Herald Sun Ms Boundy checked into a twin room at 9am yesterday.
"It's not normal for someone to come in at that hour of the day," he said. "Port Augusta is a halfway house where you end your day's travel rather than where you start."
Michael said the boy was left in the car while Ms Boundy booked the room for one night.
He did not know where they had spent the previous night.
"They looked no different from anyone else that comes in," he said. Michael said the pair spent the entire day in their room.
Just before 8pm local time, a couple of "carloads" of police arrived at the motel and went into Ms Boundy's room, Michael said.
He said it appeared the woman went willingly with the police although he could not see the boy during the arrest.
Police said Ms Boundy and the boy's father, 44, had been in a relationship for two months.
Steven had been allowed to speak to his natural mother on the phone several hours after his abduction.
"He didn't have a long conversation with his mum," said Det Sgt Richardson. "He would have preferred to have been with his mother or father rather than with this woman."
After not hearing from Ms Boundy or his son after the argument, Steven's father went to Winchelsea police station and reported him missing about 6pm on Wednesday.
Seven hours later, Ms Boundy rang Steven's natural mother in Corio and told her she was planning to return the boy to the police station, but that did not happen.
Ms Boundy had lived an itinerant life in recent times, police said.
"This lady has, in the past, had quite a number of different addresses within not only country Victoria but metropolitan Melbourne," Det Sgt Richardson said.
Oh, and she got him a puppy.
Eric Kruger and Tammy Robinson, from Winchelsea, say they are nervously counting down the hours for their reunion with son Stephen later today, the Geelong Advertiser reports.
Stephen set to be reunited with his parents at Melbourne Airport later today.
Mr Kruger and Ms Robinson, who have two children together, expect to be reunited with Stephen at Melbourne Airport just after 7pm.
Earlier today, they could not hide their relief as they spoke about the past 48 hours.
Ms Robinson said she had been on an emotional roller coaster since her son was reported missing.
“It was nice to hear his voice. I spoke to him on the phone for half an hour and he burped in my ear and started laughing,'' she said.
“He was laughing uncontrollably and that's when I knew that that was my happy little boy.''
Mr Kruger said his main focus would be to make sure his son was OK.
“At the moment I don't know how he'll come out of it. I just hope it's not going to affect him later in life,'' he said.
The woman accused of abducting Steven, 36-year-old Danielle Boundy, was arrested by police in South Australia about 8pm yesterday.
Ms Boundy allegedly attacked Steven's father in the face with a knife outside a Ballarat service station, before driving more than 900km with the boy to a Port Augusta motel, where she was later arrested.
"To say they were pleased is just the ultimate understatement and to be separated from your child for nearly three days is something no one would wish upon anybody," Det Sgt Gerry Richardson said this morning.
"Steven is safe and well and in good spirits."
Victoria Police have sent two teams over to South Australia - one will make an application in Port Augusta Magistrates Court today for the extradition of Ms Boundy.
A second team will escort Steven back to Victoria for an emotional reunion with his relieved parents.
Police initially believed Ms Boundy was headed for Queensland, where it is believed she has family.
She was tracked to the Augusta Courtyard Motel last night.
"Danielle was arrested by police peacefully from the motel, Steven was in the motel with Danielle, he was in very good condition, there's no concerns for his welfare other than that he was with someone other than his parents," Det Sgt Richardson said.
"He's in good spirits, he's under the care of family services of South Australia and he will be handed to Victorian detectives at Adelaide."
"He wasn't harmed during the ordeal."
Steven's father suffered substantial facial injuries in the alleged attack.
Ms Boundy is expected to be charged with child stealing and assault and is likely to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
Augusta Courtyard Motel owner Michael told the Herald Sun Ms Boundy checked into a twin room at 9am yesterday.
"It's not normal for someone to come in at that hour of the day," he said. "Port Augusta is a halfway house where you end your day's travel rather than where you start."
Michael said the boy was left in the car while Ms Boundy booked the room for one night.
He did not know where they had spent the previous night.
"They looked no different from anyone else that comes in," he said. Michael said the pair spent the entire day in their room.
Just before 8pm local time, a couple of "carloads" of police arrived at the motel and went into Ms Boundy's room, Michael said.
He said it appeared the woman went willingly with the police although he could not see the boy during the arrest.
Police said Ms Boundy and the boy's father, 44, had been in a relationship for two months.
Steven had been allowed to speak to his natural mother on the phone several hours after his abduction.
"He didn't have a long conversation with his mum," said Det Sgt Richardson. "He would have preferred to have been with his mother or father rather than with this woman."
After not hearing from Ms Boundy or his son after the argument, Steven's father went to Winchelsea police station and reported him missing about 6pm on Wednesday.
Seven hours later, Ms Boundy rang Steven's natural mother in Corio and told her she was planning to return the boy to the police station, but that did not happen.
Ms Boundy had lived an itinerant life in recent times, police said.
"This lady has, in the past, had quite a number of different addresses within not only country Victoria but metropolitan Melbourne," Det Sgt Richardson said.
Oh, and she got him a puppy.
