( CNN ) -- For five years , they pursued her , always one step behind as she used aliases and altered her appearance to elude them . But Janet Killough Barreto 's luck ran out at a shopping mall in Portland , Oregon , where the U.S . Marshals Service caught up with her -- the lone female fugitive in their 15 Most Wanted list . `` The crimes they are alleged to have committed are nothing short of horrendous and despicable , '' Union County , Mississippi , Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said , about Barreto and her husband . His department aided in the search because her alleged crimes took place in his jurisdiction . `` Now it is time to let justice be served . '' Abuse leads to death . Barreto , 43 , and her husband , Ramon , allegedly traveled to Guatemala on multiple occasions in 2005 and 2006 to purchase children from a local adoption agency . Authorities say the children were brought back to the United States and were malnourished , physically abused , and forced to sleep on beds with plywood bottoms . `` The children were purportedly often punished with beatings and on various occasions duct-taped to their beds , punched in the stomach , and forced to endure having their heads submerged under water , '' the Marshals Service said . In 2008 , the abuse allegedly led to the death one of their adopted children , a 2-year-old girl . Barreto was arrested in May of that year for child abuse , neglect , and manslaughter . She was released six months later on bond . On the run . In March 2009 , Barreto was arrested again for tampering with a witness and later released on bond . Two months later , she never appeared in court to face the charges against her , authorities said . The Union County Sheriff 's Office began searching , aided by the U.S . Marshals when Barreto was added to their `` 15 Most Wanted '' list in June 2013 . Authorities asked the public for any information leading to Barreto , offering a $ 25,000 reward . A `` Wanted '' poster distributed by the Marshals Service said Barreto was known to change her appearance using wigs . It also said Barreto would evade law enforcement through the use of several aliases , fleeing before her true identity was discovered . Cornered . The call came in on Monday . According to authorities , the five-year investigation gained considerable momentum when a `` concerned citizen '' called the U.S . Marshals task force in Oxford , Mississippi , with information that placed Barreto in either Oregon or Washington . The caller also told authorities that the Barretos might have a small child with them . The investigation moved swiftly . Less than 24 hours after that initial tip , a lead about a possible location sent agents to Oregon . They cornered Barreto and her husband late Tuesday afternoon at the Jantzen Beach Center , a shopping mall in Portland . At first , the Barretos refused to identify themselves , but the husband was identified on the spot when his fingerprints were verified digitally . Though Barreto continued to be uncooperative , her identity was revealed once she was fingerprinted at a local jail . `` Janet Barreto is a malicious individual . Through her alleged crimes , Barreto demonstrated a blatant disregard and lack of respect for life other than her own , '' said U.S . Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton . The infant found with the Barretos during their arrest was placed with child protective services , authorities said . Six years after the death of their daughter , it 's uncertain what the Barretos will face upon their return . Both are currently being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland , awaiting extradition to Mississippi , authorities said . It is unknown whether either has retained an attorney . Suspect in mom-son slayings surrenders after 1 day on FBI 's Top 10 list .
She was on the run for five years . The story of how she got to America is a fascinating one. She and her husband are accused of abusing their adopted children .