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Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping former student caught in California

Posted at 1:14 PM, Apr 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-20 13:24:01-04

(Fox News) – A Tennessee teacher and the teenage former student he was suspected of kidnapping were found in Northern California on Thursday, The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

Tad Cummins, 50, was arrested and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas was “safely recovered,” TBI tweeted. Officials planned a news conference later Thursday afternoon.

Cummins and Thomas disappeared on March 13, sparking a cross-country manhunt made all the more difficult as Cummins apparently changed his appearance and may have switched out the license plate on the vehicle he was driving, according to reports.

Investigators were flooded with thousands of tips from the public as the case gained national attention.

Cummins was fired from his job amid an investigation into alleged inappropriate contact with Thomas.