A frantic five-day search for Sandra Giesbrecht and her two children ended with an arrest.

The arrest played out Friday afternoon in Bruce Park behind Shawnee Scatliff's St. James home.

"I said wow, little kids, so we all came out to see and all we could see was a woman with her hands behind her back," she said Saturday, from where she watched the arrest unfold.

Scatliff stepped outside her backyard to see about 15 police officers with guns and vehicles on both sides of the park.

She said she knew Winnipeg police were looking for missing 11-year old Montana, and 9-year old Josh Giesbrecht since Monday night, and were believed to be with their mother, but didn't make the connection right away,

"When I saw her my first impression was that's not her, but who is this woman with two young children," she said.

Scatliff said Giesbrecht looked nothing like woman with the reddish pulled back hair. Instead her hair looked dyed black. Scatliff also found a curly blonde wig in the back seat of the Ford Expedition, the same vehicle police say Giesbrecht was driving. Officers said there is evidence Giesbrecht tried to disguise her identity.

Winnipeg police said a pursuit that started on Amherst Street lasted six to seven minutes and ended in Bruce Park.

Officers say the acted on information and found Giesbrecht driving a beige vehicle, and Giesbrecht hit a police cruiser trying to flee.

"She was driving a fairly large vehicle, obviously very motivated she was able to get past those vehicles," said Const. Jason Michalyshen.

Once in Bruce Park, officers said Giesbrecht, took the children and ran for the bushes.

"We had no doubt Sandra loves her children. We reached out to her on a few different levels,” he said. “Obviously she made some decisions not in her best interest.”

As Scatliff watched the arrest unfold, she said Giesbrecht was calm and cooperative, until a reporter arrived, and that's when she yelled out negative comments about her ex-husband

"Mad, mad, she was not crying. She was mad upset. That's the feeling I got from her," said Scatliff.

After the arrest, Winnipeg police spoke to the siblings. Officers say the children appeared to be in good spirits.

Police thanked members of the community for help during the investigation. Police have spoken to the father of the children, who said the outcome was "a huge sigh of relief," Cons. Jason Michalyshen said.