Boston Area News

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Four children in a two-state Amber Alert were found safe in New York Wedneday afternoon after they were allegedly taken by their father from a murder scene in Lynn. He has been arrested and charged with murder.

Authorities in New York found the children safely at Union and Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn Wednesday evening where they had been spotted earlier in the day.

The children, all ages 3 and younger, were taken sometime after 1 a.m. in the area of 99 High Rock Street in Lynn, where a woman was found stabbed to death in her home. Police later released surveillance video of the family at South Station where it's believed they took a bus to New York City.

Rodlyn Petitbois, 25, is charged in the woman's murder. Police say he took his four children and their mother, Louna Eveillard, 26, after slashing Eveillard's hand and then stabbing her friend in the eye.

Police arrested Petitbois in Brooklyn and charged him with the murder of 33-year-old Greenland Etienne, who police say came to the rescue of her friend when Petitbois stabbed her. He was arrested without incident around 6 p.m. while walking down the street by the Brooklyn Homicide Unit, police said. Eveillard and the four children were found a short time later in a Brooklyn apartment. Police said Petitbois won't be charged with kidnapping and that they believe Eveillard went willingly with him. Police earlier believed she had been taken against her will.

Late Wednesday afternoon, police expanded their search into the New York City metropolitan area where they believe the family traveled to by bus from Boston. Petitbois and Eveillard have last known addresses in Brooklyn and were believed to have been in the vicinity of 534 Flatbush Ave. at 1:40 p.m.

Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said investigators received a report of a sighting of the family in Boston's Haymarket Square Wednesday morning, which led investigators to surveillance video of the family at South Station.

Police also released a surveillance image of Rodlyn Petitbois alone at Haymarket Station Wednesday morning.

The children are identified as Ryan Petitbois, a black male, age 3; Lyndsey Petitbois, a black female, age 2; Lauren Petitbois, a black female, age 1; and Roddick Petitbois, a black male, age 11 months.

The children were not wearing any shoes in the surveillance video and Eveillard, who had been stabbed in her hand, was seen wearing a bandage.

Police said the kids were taken from the murder scene where was stabbed in the face. She died a short time later at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Etienne was a mother of four children.

"She was a good mother, and she was a good sister to me, too," said Etienne's brother, Steven Etienne. "She was a good person. That's what I want to people to know about her."

Steven Etienne said his sister died trying to protect Eveillard when she was attacked by Petitbois.

Etienne said he found his sister on the floor in the Lynn house after she had been stabbed.

Blodgett said authorities believe there was a "social" relationship between Greeland Etienne and Petitbois but that link was still being investigated.

According to court documents, Petitbois assaulted Eveillard three weeks ago and that Eveillard feared he would kill her. She then took the children to stay at the High Rock Street residence. According to the documents, Petitbois had since been looking for them.

Police said Petitbois, 25, came to the United States in 1999 through New York, and state and New York City authorities were put on notice in case the family showed up.

According to court documents, Petitbois and Eveillard moved their family from New York to Boston to find work. Neighbors told WBZ Petitbois was having a difficult time finding a job, and money had become an issue for the couple.

Blodgett said Petitbois did not have a local criminal history, and had a government-issued photo identification but not a driver's license.

He will be arraigned Thursday.

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