15-month-old Khadijah Abdalaziz Sheikh has been found safe. (Photo: Anoka County Sheriff)
A 15-month-old child who was the subject of an amber alert Thursday was found safe after a citizen spotted the suspect’s vehicle and alerted authorities, the Anoka County sheriff’s office says.
Khadijah Abdalaziz Sheikh was apparently taken from her daycare center in Ramsey, Minnesota, Wednesday by her mother who had recently lost custody of the child, authorities said. They believed the child’s life was in danger, leading to the alert issued by the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension Thursday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office said the mother, Yusra Abumayaleh, 30, “had been acting in an irrational manner,” and threatening to harm herself and others.
Descriptions of the child, the mother, and the car Abumayaleh was believed to be driving were widely circulated during the alert. A statement from the sheriff’s office says the car was spotted by a citizen who reported it to law enforcement, leading to the arrest on Interstate 35W at 6:50 p.m.
The sheriff’s office says Khadijah appeared to be unharmed but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
They describe the incident as an abduction by a non-custodial parent and say criminal charges will be considered. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that the suspect in custody is Abumayaleh.
Staff at the daycare were unaware that Abumayaleh had lost custody of her daughter when she picked up the child on Wednesday, authorities say.
I also got the text! 
