The call came late and in a panic — the kind of call that forces police to move before they can fully understand what they’re walking into.

A woman in Monroe, Wash., told officers her ex-boyfriend had assaulted her outside her home, stolen her car, and nearly run her over as he fled. But the most frightening discovery came only after she managed to get back inside the house: her two young children, ages 7 and 10 months, were gone.

Within minutes, the case escalated from a domestic violence report to a statewide emergency.

According to newly released court documents, the woman told police her ex had made a chilling threat in the past — that he would “be like Travis Decker and kill the kids.” Decker, a father from nearby Leavenworth, abducted and killed his three daughters earlier this year before taking his own life. Police declined to comment on the reference, calling it too painful and too recent, but the statement was enough to mobilize departments across Washington.

What followed was an all-hands search that unfolded over several hours and across several counties. Monroe police alerted agencies statewide, sending out a “Be on the Lookout” bulletin that included the missing vehicle, the suspect, and the two children believed to be with him. Neighboring departments were pulled in; detectives began preparing an Amber Alert with Washington State Police.

As officers scrambled, Cmdr. Paul Ryan of the Monroe Police Department said the focus was singular: prevent another tragedy.

The call that changed everything came from a Kittitas County Sheriff’s deputy, more than 100 miles from Monroe. The deputy had spotted the car. Then the suspect. Then — to the relief of everyone involved — both children, alive inside the vehicle.

Monroe officers immediately drove to the county to take the suspect into custody. The children were returned to their mother.

The father, whose name has not been released, was booked into the Snohomish County jail and is being held on $200,000 bail. He faces two counts of first-degree kidnapping, as well as charges of felony harassment — including threats to kill — and second-degree domestic violence assault.

For law enforcement officers who handled the case, the quick recovery of the two children was an outcome that could easily have gone another way. Domestic violence calls already carry significant danger. When children are involved — particularly in a situation where threats have been made — officers know how quickly things can escalate.

The case will now move through the courts, but for the moment, the focus remains on the mother and her children, whose disappearance and safe recovery turned a routine domestic violence call into a statewide race against time.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.