( CNN ) -- A California man who spent a month of the run with his 15-year-old niece is now in a San Francisco jail , and the girl back is home with her parents , according to police and relatives . Charles David Berlinghoff , 44 , was caught this weekend , four weeks after the Shasta County Sheriff 's office urged the public and law enforcement to be on the lookout for him . At that time , the police issued statements indicating his niece , Jean Marie Berlinghoff , was with him and `` is believed to be endangered . '' The girl , meanwhile , was reunited with her family at 8 a.m. Sunday , according to police . Her father called the meeting very emotional , full of hugs and tears . `` I was able to put my arms around her and hug her , '' Jake Berlinghoff told HLN 's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday . `` Amazing is an understatement . I ca n't put to words how happy I was to see her again , and how happy her mom was to see her . '' That feeling was the opposite of the parents ' feelings in previous weeks , while their daughter 's whereabouts and condition were unknown . Charles Berlinghoff had been in and out of his extended family 's life , even losing regular contact for a full decade , his brother told HLN . In 1998 , Charles Berlinghoff pleaded no-contest to one count of child molestation -- part of a deal in which three other child molesting counts were dropped , according to California court documents . But his brother said that the extended family did n't know about that sex offense , a charge that the judge in 2002 expunged from his record . On November 12 , the Shasta County Sheriff 's Office issued a statement saying that Jean Marie and her uncle were missing , having last been seen in North Redding , California , traveling together in a 1987 gray Oldsmobile . A felony arrest warrant for child stealing -- when a person entices , takes or hides a child from his or her lawful guardian -- was put out soon thereafter for Charles Berlinghoff . Police said that an additional arrest warrant , details of which were not released , was obtained December 6 by Shasta County detectives . The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children got involved , helping publicize information about the girl and her alleged abductor on transit and other signs in northern California . A $ 10,000 reward was offered for information leading to Jean Marie 's recovery and her uncle 's arrest , and authorities were on the look-out for the car . While on the run , Charles and Jean Marie spent much of their time staying in homeless shelters and eating in soup kitchens , Jake Berlinghoff said . Their run ended when one of Jean Marie 's cousins , who lives in San Francisco , spotted the pair Saturday while shopping for a jacket , said Jake Berlinghoff . The cousin called 911 and trailed the pair from a distance before police arrived . Jake Berlinghoff said that he was `` ecstatic '' when he got word that Charles was in custody and his teenage daughter was safe , adding that a tearful Jean Marie told him `` she was happy to be home . ''
Charles David Berlinghoff , 44 , is in a California jail on a child-stealing warrant . Police say he ran off with his 15-year-old niece , prompting a month-long search . The two spent much of their time at homeless shelters , the girl 's father says .