Father-of-three and his girlfriend 'intended to physically harm or sexually abuse' two Amish girls they 'snatched from a roadside stall before holding them captive overnight'
- Stephen Howells II, 39, and his 25-year-old girlfriend Nicole Vaisey were charged Friday with kidnapping the two Amish girls
- Fannie and Delila Miller, ages 12 and 6, went missing Wednesday night from their family's home in Oswegatchie, NY
- They reappeared 24 hours later when they knocked on the door of Jeff and Pam Stinson 36 miles away in Richville, NY
- The two were allegedly kidnapped by the couple who came to their family's vegetable stand and took them to a home in Richville
- The girls escaped and knocked on the first door they could find
- The couple - Howells, a father himself judging from social media - have been charged with intending to abuse or physically harm the girls
A couple has been charged with the kidnapping of two Amish girls who went missing Wednesday night from their farm in Upstate New York.
Fannie and Delila Miller, ages 12 and 6, reappeared after 24 hours missing when they knocked on a stranger's doorstep 36 miles from their home in Oswegatchie, New York. They have since been reunited with their family.
On Friday, local authorities announced the arrests of Stephen Howells II, 39, and 25-year-old Nicole Vaisey. According to the suspects' Facebook accounts, they appear to be a couple.
They have now been charged with intending to sexually abuse or physical harm the girls and two counts of first-degree kidnapping.
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Stephen Howells II and Nicole Vaisey have been charged with intending to sexually abuse or physically harm two girls and two counts of first-degree kidnapping
Parents? A neighbor said three children lived at Howell and Vaisey's house. Above, a picture of Howell with three children posted to his Facebook
Arrests made: Stephen Howells II, 39 (left), and 25-yeasr-old Nicole Vaisey (right) were arrested Friday in connection to the kidnapping of two Amish girls in Upstate New York
Back home: Amish girls Fannie, 12 (pictured), and Delila Miller, 6, reappeared Thursday night after 25 hours missing. Neither girl had been photographed before their disappearance, per Amish custom
They have been jailed without bond.
St. Lawrence County District Attorney Mary Rain said:
'The suspects agreed to go to the sheriff's office to be interviewed earlier today and they were arrested after those interviews,' Rain said.
Police haven't released more information about the couple, other than to say they were arrested at their home in Herman, NY - 20 miles from where the Miller girls were found in Richville, New York.
A neighbor described them as boyfriend and girlfriend to 7News and said three other children lived in the house.
On his Facebook page, Howells appears to be a father to three children. It's uncertain whether his girlfriend, Vaisey, is the mother.
Two cars were parked on the property, one red and one white, which appear to match descriptions of the vehicles used in the kidnapping.
The couple could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Thursday night, an Amber Alert was called off when the two children knocked on the door of Jeff and Pam Stinson, 36 miles away in Richville, New York.
The couple said the two girls were cold, wet, hungry and still wearing their traditional Amish garb when they knocked looking for help, a family friend told ABC News.
Jeff Stinson immediately recognized the girls since he had purchased corn from Fannie before, and had read news reports about their disappearance.
Before driving them home, the Stinsons fed the girls watermelon and juice and said they couldn't stop eating the fruit from hunger.
They then drove the Miller girls back to the farm where they were happily reunited with their family.
The Stinsons told police that the girls ducked down in the back seat at one point during the drive, after noticing their kidnapper's red car parked on the side of the road.
A photo posted to Howell's Facebook shows two cars parked on his property, which seem to match the description of the vehicles used in the kidnapping
Relief: Supporters gather on the porch of the family's house Thursday after the two girls were returned safe
Distance: The above map shows the distance between Oswegatchie, the town where the girls disappeared, and Richville, where they were found. About 12 miles from Richville is Hermon, NY, where the suspects were arrested at their home
An Amish witness who was passing told authorities that he saw a man put something in the back of his white four-door sedan and, when he drove off, the little girls were gone.
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'The girls walked up to a stranger's house, thank goodness they had enough courage to do that, knocked on the door, and that person took them home,' District Attorney Mary Rain told ABC News.
The girls 'seem to be healthy' after being reunited with family, officials say.
The episode left a sense of vulnerability in a community where residents said even small children often walk unaccompanied to school.
'One thing that comes from this is that people learn this can happen in a small town,' Rain said. "I think the public will take precautions, and that's the sad thing.'
Patricia Ritchie, the state senator representing the region, said many are now reluctant to let their children play outdoors unattended.
Ritchie said the Amish are responding in a way that may forever change a familiar feature of the local landscape: Some are taking down their roadside stands.
'This has sent a shockwave through their community,' she said.
If convicted in the kidnapping, the couple could spend 25 years to life in prison
Howell pictured with another child on his Facebook account
Above, the Miller residence where the two girls disappeared Wednesday night
Crime scene: New York State Police investigators search for clues at a roadside vegetable stand where the two girls were working when they disappeared
Rescuers: The two girls were allegedly kidnapped, but escaped and knocked on the first home they came across. Jeff and Pam Stinson answered the door, fed the girls, and drove them back to their family farm 36 miles away
Authorities released this Amber Alert for the girls on Wednesday evening, including a file picture of what the girls were wearing when they vanished (top left)
Above, the food stand where the two girls were kidnapped from on Wednesday
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