Three young children who were abducted in Missouri in 2017 have been found safe in Texas and their mother has been taken into custody.
Shawn Rodriguez and offspring Daniel, David and Ariana Olivera were found at a home in Arlington on Thursday. The 42-year-old Rodriguez is expected to be extradited back to Missouri.
The father of the kids was given full custody earlier this year, according to TV station KSHB. The children were taken from Saline County, and a warrant was issued for the mother’s arrest for parental kidnapping in August, according to KCTV.
Authorities allege that Rodriguez took the children two years ago. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office asked for help from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the U.S. Marshal became involved, according to KSHB.
Investigators came to believe that Rodriguez had traveled with the kids to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The children were all under the age of eight when they were taken, according to KCTV.
The children are under the supervision of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services “while they wait to be reunited with their father,” The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said.
