Two Missouri children who were reported missing one year ago have reportedly been found with their alleged abductor at a supermarket in central Florida, multiple outlets have confirmed.
The children - aged 11 and 12 - were discovered in High Springs, Florida, after police did a routine vehicle check and discovered that the owner of the vehicle, 36-year-old Kristi Nicole Gilley, was a fugitive.
It was later revealed that Gilley is the noncustodial parent of the two children and had kidnapped them on March 15, 2022, per Fox News.
According to police, Gilley and the children had attempted to disguise their appearances.
Gilley was subsequently detained and arrested on an active kidnapping warrant out of Clay County, Missouri, NBC News reported.
Sadly, this situation is nothing new, as tens of thousands of children are kidnapped each year by a parent without a court order or consent of the other parent. Oftentimes these abductions occur in the midst of an acrimonious divorce or custody battle between two parents.
In some cases, the parent who has taken the child may flee to another state or even another country, making it incredibly difficult for the child to be located by the other parent or law enforcement. In other circumstances, the parent who has abducted the child may have a history of domestic violence or abuse, which can place the child in danger.
The Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center estimates that the number of children being kidnapped could be as high as 200,000 - 260,000 annually. Statistically, strangers account for less than one per cent of child abductions, while parents are accountable for a whopping 90% of kidnappings, according to Safe At Last.
Many amber alerts stem from child abduction, and in most US states it is treated as a felony-level offense. Federal legislation Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA) and the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA) provide legal framework for the return of abducted children to their home state or country.
As for Gilley, court documents seen by PEOPLE show that she's still in custody. The two children have been reunited with their birth family after being turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families Services. William Miller - a lawyer acting on behalf of Gilley - has declined multiple requests for comment.
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