Two young children from Lorain County who were reported missing during a court hearing earlier this month have been found safe in Indianapolis, and their mother is now under arrest. The 4-year-old and 1-year-old were reported missing to Elyria police on Sept. 16, and authorities said they believed both kids were in danger.
The children were recovered Monday by members of the U.S. Marshals-led Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to WISH-TV. The outlet reported that the children had been with their mother, who had fled Ohio, and that the older child is autistic and requires medical treatment.
The children's mother, 26-year-old Asiah Brown of Elyria, was located and arrested in Indianapolis Monday, per FOX 8 News. The station reported Brown faces a felony charge of interference with custody, according to marshals.
How the Case Unfolded
The children were reported missing during a court hearing in Lorain County on Sept. 16, the same day they were reported missing to Elyria police. Brown was indicted Sept. 24 in Lorain County Court of Common Pleas on a charge of interference with custody, the WISH-TV report notes.
Marshals worked with Elyria police throughout the investigation and learned that Brown had the children, according to Cleveland 19 News. That coordination ultimately led investigators to Indianapolis, where the task force located and arrested Brown on Monday.
Marshal Credits Local Partnership
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said the United States Marshals Service will do everything in its power to safely locate missing children, per FOX 8. Elliott expressed gratitude for the safe recovery of the two children and credited the partnership with the Elyria Police Department for helping bring the case to a resolution.
Under Ohio law, interference with custody is addressed in Ohio Revised Code Section 2919.23, which states that whoever violates the section is guilty of interference with custody. The statute also sets out misdemeanor degrees and felony circumstances.
