A 15-year-old girl allegedly kidnapped six years ago was found safe in North Carolina after a store clerk recognized her from a report that aired on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” WLOS reported.
Kayla Unbehaun was allegedly kidnapped from her Illinois home in July 2017 by her non-custodial mother, Heather Unbehaun, WLOS News reported. The Asheville Police Department revealed Kayla had been recognized by an employee of a local store thanks to “well-publicized media.” The employee then contacted the authorities, the outlet stated.
An Unsolved Mysteries viewer has closed a case!
A store owner in North Carolina recognized Kayla Unbehaun — who was abducted in 2017 by her non-custodial mother — from the roll call in Volume 3, Episode 9. Kayla, now 15, is expected to return to her family in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/q8mTegq6xN
— Netflix (@netflix) May 16, 2023
After investigators confirmed the girl in question was Kayla, Heather Unbehaun was apprehended and transported to the Buncombe County Jail, according to WLOS News.
“It really was a sequence of events where the caller felt like they had made an identification, and called the police, and the police responded and were persistent with their investigation,”Asheville Police Lt. Jonathan Brown told the outlet.
After Unbehaun’s arrest, Kayla was put into the custody of the North Carolina Department of Social Services who contacted Illinois authorities. The teen was then reunited with her father who drove from Illinois to pick her up.
“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank [the City of Elgin, Illinois Police and Fire Departments], the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case,” her father, Ryan, stated, according to the outlet. “We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.” (RELATED: US Marshals Say They Rescued 16 Missing Children, Some In Suspected Sex Trafficking Ring)
Heather Unbehaun is being charged with child abduction and was being held on a $250,000 bail over the weekend. She has since been released with a scheduled court date of July 11, 2023, the outlet reported.