Girl whose mother abducted her in 2017 found alive by store owner

Girl whose mother abducted her from her father’s care in 2017 when she was just 9 is found alive and well in North Carolina by store owner who recognised her after watching her story on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries

• Kayla Unbehaun was abducted by her non-custodial mother Heather Unbehaun
• Her mother was arrested last weekend and is being held on a $250,000 bond
• READ: Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries hands over 90 tips on unsolved 2018 murder

A girl whose mother abducted her aged 9 from her father’s care in 2017 has been found alive and well in North Carolina by a store owner who recognised her after watching her story on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries. 

Kayla Unbehaun, who was abducted by her non-custodial mother Heather Unbehaun, had last been seen on July 4, 2017.

Her father Ryan Iskerka, who had full custody at the time, went to pick her up from her mother’s house in Wheaton, South Elgin, on July 5 – but Kayla was nowhere to be found.  

Heather Unbehaun, 40, was arrested last weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, after a store owner recognised Kayla at a shopping center in Asheville after watching an episode on her disappearance on a Netflix show and called the police.

Her mother, who only had visitation rights at the time of the abduction, is being held on a $250,000 bond and is awaiting extradition. 

Kayla Unbehaun, who was abducted by her non-custodial mother Heather Unbehaun, had last been seen on July 4, 2017

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted alerts online in the years since her abduction showing the missing girl aged 9 as well as age-progression photos of how she likely looks like now (pictured: an age-progression picture of Kayla aged 14)

Kayla, who is now aged 15, is in protective custody.

The case was the topic of an episode focusing on parental abductions on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries series. 

Kayla is featured at the end of the episode ‘Abducted by a Parent’ as a part of a Missing Children Roll alongside CJ and Billy Vosseler, Luis Alderete-Martinez, Huaiyu and Binyu Chin, Reuben Blackwell Jr., Tammy and Diego Flores, and Christopher and Lisa Zaharias.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted alerts online in the years since her abduction showing the missing girl aged 9 as well as age-progression photos of how she likely looks like now.

After being alerted that Kayla had been found, the organisation shared a message from her father, Ryan, which said: ‘I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank @ElginPDFD, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case. 

‘We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.’ 

Heather Unbehaun, 40, was arrested last weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, after a store owner recognised Kayla at a shopping center in Asheville after watching an episode on her disappearance on a Netflix show and called the police

 The Kane County State’s Attorney charged Heather Unbehaun with one charge of child abduction when she was located. 

Lt. Diana Loveland of Asheville, North Carolina Police Department, told ABC : ‘It is unusual but it’s good that when someone does suspect that they recognise someone, no matter how old the story might be, that they are not afraid to give us a call so we can come and investigate.’

Her father Ryan Iskerka (right), who had full custody at the time, went to pick her up from her mother’s house in Wheaton, South Elgin, on July 5 – but Kayla was nowhere to be found

Two weeks ago, a DNA test confirmed the identity of a Texan woman who was abducted as a toddler 51 years ago and was reunited with her family last year.

Melissa Highsmith, now 53, was taken from her parents’ Fort Worth home in 1971 by a babysitter when she was just 22 months old 

She was miraculously reunited with her biological parents – Jeffrie Higshmith, 72; Alta Alpantenco, 73 and siblings – Rebecca Del Bosque, 48; Vicitoria Highsmith, 47; Sharon Highsmith, 45 and Jeffrey Highsmith, 42 – on November 26. 

Fort Worth Police Department announced it had completed official DNA testing which confirmed Melissa’s identity as the missing child. 

For more than half a century her parents and siblings had been looking around the country for her – but she had been living just ten minutes away. 

They eventually found her through her children’s DNA samples which were shared on genealogy website 23andMe. 

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