WATERVILLE — Waterville police are investigating the alleged abduction of two children by their mother, who failed to return them to their grandmother’s home after a supervised visit on Thursday.

Joslyn Retamozzo, 7, and Joel Retamozzo, 6, have been in the court-ordered custody of their grandmother for several years. The children’s grandmother called police about 8:45 p.m. Thursday to report that their mother, BethMarie Retamozzo, 34, had taken the children earlier in the day during a supervised visit.

The person supervising the visit allowed Retamozzo to put the children into her vehicle with the understanding that they would meet the supervisor at a park in Fairfield, Waterville police said Friday. Retamozzo and the children did not show up and have not been seen since.

Waterville detectives have gathered information indicating that Retamozzo has left Maine and may be headed to New York or Florida. They say they are concerned that the children’s well-being is in danger but did not release specifics about the nature of the threat.

On Friday, Waterville police obtained an arrest warrant from Kennebec County Superior Court charging the mother with two counts of Class C felony criminal restraint by a parent. The warrants have been entered into the National Crime Information Center with a note that the Kennebec County district attorney’s office will extradite Retamozzo from anywhere in the United States to answer to the charges.

Retamozzo and the children were last seen traveling in a gray 1999 Nissan Quest minivan bearing New York registration ERE2647.

The Waterville Police Department has enlisted the assistance of the Maine Information Analysis Center, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, New York state law enforcement agencies and several other other entities in an attempt to locate Retamozzo and her children.

Police said BethMarie Retamozzo is described as a white woman, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing approximately 130 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Joslyn Retamozzo is described as a black girl, 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 80 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.

Joel Retamozzo is described as a white boy, 4 feet tall, weighing approximately 60 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyone who believes they know the whereabouts of Retamozzo or her children is urged to call 911 and then the Waterville Police Department at 680-4700.

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