An American teenager whoShe had been missing for six years and was found alive in North Carolina, thanks to a series ofNetflix.
Kayla Unbehaun She was nine years old when she was last seen on July 5, 2017 in South Elgin, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.She was kidnapped by her mother, from whom custody had been removed.
The minor, now 15 years old, was found in Asheville, North Carolina, thanks to the fact that her case was broadcast in the Netflix series "Unsolved mysteries", about kidnappings of children by their parents.
On Saturday night, a customer saw her in a store and recognized her.
"That person notified a store employee, who then called the police," he toldCNN Samantha Booth of the Asheville Police Department.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) announced the news, after receiving confirmation from the girl's father, namedRyan Iserka.
Father and daughter are now together in Illinois.
Iserka thanked the South Elgin Police, NCMEC, other law enforcement agencies that assisted in the case, and the thousands of followers of the page.Facebook "Bring Kayla home", where the NCMEC had published a recreated photo of the minor to give an idea of what she would look like now.
"They helped keep her story alive and were instrumental in spreading awareness. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning," Iserka said on the wall.Facebook from the center.
Kayla's mother,Heather Unbehaun, 40, was arrested on suspicion of having kidnapped her daughter. A judge set her bail at $250,000 before she was transferred to Illinois. On Tuesday he was released.
The deputy clerk of Buncombe County, North Carolina, Cory Alexander, announced that he must appear in court on July 11, on charges that were not detailed.
On July 5, 2017, when Kayla's father picked up his daughter from a camping trip, neither of them were home. The woman's phone was turned off and she had also canceled all her social media.
At first both were reported missing, but on July 28 the authorities issued an arrest warrant for Unbehaun, because they suspected that he had kidnapped the girl and fled. When searching her home, the police discovered that she had searched the Internet for information on what to do to disappear and not be found.
Iserka had obtained full custody of the girl earlier in the year. The couple was together for five years, until the little girl was born, when the woman abruptly ended the relationship.
During the following years, the father was only able to see his daughter in public places, because his ex would not let him go to her house, so that he could be with her as little as possible.
The problems between both parents led to a legal battle in court, which ended when a judge granted Iserka full legal custody of the minor. Apparently, this led her mother to kidnap her and hide her under another identity.
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