VIDEO: Girl Abducted Years Ago Found Safe When Kidnapper Recognized at Shop

A South Elgin, Illinois, girl who vanished years ago was located in North Carolina on Saturday and will be reunited with her family.

NBC Chicago reported Monday:

Heather Unbehaun was taken into custody and expected to be extradited to northern Illinois, where she is accused of abducting her then 9-year-old daughter, Kayla, in 2017, police previously said. On July 5 of that year, Kayla’s father went to pick her up from an address in Wheaton, but learned Heather had packed her vehicle and left with their daughter the day before, according to authorities.

Weeks later, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office issued a kidnapping warrant for Heather. The two hadn’t been located until Saturday, when a woman at a Plato’s Closet in Asheville recognized Heather from “published media” and called police, according to Asheville police spokeswoman Samantha Booth.

In a social media post, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children announced Kayla had been found, along with a photo taken before she went missing.

“Thank you to everyone who shared this child’s poster,” the organization said:

Now, 15-year-old Kayla is in the care of the North Carolina Division of Social Services and is expected to be reunited with her family before traveling back home to Illinois.

In his statement, the girl’s father, Ryan Iskerka, thanked law enforcement and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, who assisted in the case.

“I also want to thank all of the followers on the ‘Bring Kayla Home’ Facebook page, who helped keep her story alive and were instrumental in spreading awareness. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning,” he added.

A video from 2020 shows what Kayla may have grown to look like over the years she was missing:

In a social media post on January 5, 2021, Iskerka shared a photo of his daughter and wished her a happy birthday.

“I pray for you every day and think about you all day long. My love for you has no limits or boundaries. You’re always unconditionally welcome in your home here with us and in my arms,” he wrote:

The case was one of several shown in an episode of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries in November, per the NBC report.

In 2017, the child’s father had full custody, and her mother had visitation rights, according to ABC 7:

“It is unusual, but it’s good that when someone does suspect that they recognize someone, no matter how old the story might be, that they are not afraid to give us a call so we can come investigate,” Asheville Police Department Lt. Diana Loveland said.