Man who allegedly kidnapped 3-year-old in Van Nuys arrested in central California

A man accused of kidnapping a 3-year-old boy in Van Nuys on Wednesday morning was arrested in central California hours after the incident began, according to Los Angeles police.

Officers said they were called to the 7600 block of Van Nuys Boulevard at 8:12 a.m. for reports of a home invasion and kidnapping. By the time they arrived, however, police said that the suspect, who hasn't yet been identified, had already fled from the area in a black Ford Explorer.

The department said the suspect allegedly kidnapped a 3-year-old boy.

The California Highway Patrol later told CBS LA that the boy and suspect were located on the 5 Freeway near Los Banos, a town about 70 miles northwest of Fresno in Merced County, where the man was taken into custody. He remained behind bars in Merced County as of Wednesday night.

CHP officers said that the suspect was found thanks to OnStar technology inside the vehicle, which he had rented before the incident. The OnStar team was able to disable the vehicle, allowing CHP officers to approach and finally arrest the suspect.

According to LAPD officials, an Amber Alert was never issued because the car didn't have license plates. 

Aerial footage later in the day showed an LAPD plane transporting the boy back to Los Angeles.

The relationship between the boy and the suspect is unknown.