Kayla Unbehaun: Illinois girl who vanished in 2017 found in NC, mom arrested for abduction
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: A South Elgin girl who was abducted by her non-custodial mother nearly six years ago has been found in Asheville, North Carolina. Kayla Unbehaun was located after someone recognized her mother from a media report and called the cops. Her mother, Heather Unbehaun, was taken into custody. She is expected to be extradited to northern Illinois, where she allegedly abducted Kayla when the girl was only nine years old, in 2017.
Kayla's father, Ryan Iskerka, issued a statement through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, saying, "I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her 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.”
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How did Kayla Unbehaun disappear?
Ryan and Heather, Kayla's parents, decided to call it quits and break off their relationship about a couple of weeks after she was born. The separation led to a lengthy custody battle, at the end of which both were awarded shared custody of Kayla.
The little girl was visiting Heather in 2017 in Wheaton, Illinois. The two had planned to go on a camping trip, and Kayla was supposed to return to Ryan on July 5. When Ryan drove to Heather's grandfather's house, he found her father and uncle there. Heather and Kayla, however, were nowhere to be seen. Asking around, he learned that Heather had left the area with Kayla, and he immediately approached the police and reported the incident. On July 29, 2017, authorities issued a felony arrest warrant for Heather. She was charged with a single count of kidnapping. Both Kayla and Heather had been missing until the recent developments.
Kayla's age-progressed pictures were distributed to several law agencies and the public. Heather's felony arrest remained active, and she was considered a fugitive of the law. A Facebook page, 'Bring Kayla Home', set up by her family raised awareness about her disappearance. Kayla's case was first released on November 1, 2022, as a part of Volume 3 of the Netflix reboot of 'Unsolved Mysteries'. It is featured at the end of 'Abducted by a Parent'. Kayla is 15 years old at present.
'So much healing to start'
Social media users rejoiced after the news of Kayla being found surfaced. "Great news! Let’s bring all missing persons home," one user commented on Facebook. "Celebrate!!!! Oh my gosh that is so amazing. I’m so happy for Ryan and the rest of our family. God Bless." One wrote, "Omgosh! This is such wonderful news! Welcome home Kayla!"
"I'm very happy for your Family to be back together again after 5 yrs and 10 months apart !! May the Joy of the Blessing to hold one another again help heal the emptiness you endured for so long," one user said, while another wrote, "Fantastic news! God's amazing love answers prayers." "Wow. I just listened to a podcast yesterday about Kayla. So glad she's found. So much healing to start," one user said.
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