The abduction saga that began in Indiana on the Fourth of July reached its conclusion in South Texas this week, as three children were rescued and their parents arrested after a standoff at a Pearsall motel. Willie Terrell, 50, and Jessika Terrell, 31, the non-custodial parents of the missing trio, were taken into custody on Tuesday night.
A Silver Alert issued in Indianapolis, set the search in motion after the children – all under the age of five – were allegedly taken from a restaurant meeting with their grandfather. According to Express-News, the grandfather briefly left the table and returned to find, both the children and their parents were missing. Court documents later revealed that officials tracked the family to Columbus, Texas on July 8 via a cellphone ping and suspected they were heading to Mexico.
The search intensified when another ping led the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI to Pearsall. Police surveillance spotted the family's vehicle at the Rio Frio Motel, prompting the location to be evacuated as a precautionary measure. "We're 100 miles from the border and I think some of that information received was that they were possibly headed to cross the border potentially," Chief Deputy Pedro Salinas with the Frio County Sheriff’s office told Fox San Antonio.
Willie Terrell attempted to flee the motel when authorities closed in but returned to the stand-off which ended peacefully later that night. "They were tracking the couple. We got advised the subjects could possibly be in our jurisdiction, and so we just let those agencies know that we're ready and able to help in any way that we can," said Chief Deputy Salinas in a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio. The children, some with known medical issues, were evaluated by medical personnel after the surrender though it is uncertain if injuries were sustained during the ordeal.
Both Willie and Jessika Terrell now face serious charges including interference with child custody, a felony offense. Willie Frank Terrell was also charged with evading arrest. As the investigation continues, authorities have indicated that more charges could follow. They are currently awaiting extradition to Indiana from the Frio County Jail.
