A young boy abducted seven years ago when he was seven has been found safe and well.
Abdul Aziz Khan, 14, who featured on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries documentary, was kidnapped in 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was found by cops in Colorado in February completely by chance after officers were called out to a burglary.
The owner of the home, who has not been identified, spotted two intruders on a home surveillance camera and dialed 911.
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the scene and found two children in the back of a car parked on the driveway.
One of them was subsequently identified as Aziz, who was last seen alive more than 1,500 miles away in 2017.
Deputies began speaking with Aziz and the other child, then watched as a man and woman entered the house that was being burgled.
The pair who emerged claimed they were working with a realtor, with investigators later finding out they lied.
The sheriff’s office said the pair were later identified as Rabia Khalid, 40, and Elliot Blake Bourgeois, 42.
They then identified one of the children in the vehicle as being Khan, and that Khalid was his custodial mother and had been wanted for kidnapping her son.
Khalid had an active warrant for her arrest, with officials charging her with felony kidnapping.
Both Khalid and Bourgeois were arrested and booked into the Douglas County Jail on charges including Second Degree Kidnapping, Forgery, Identity Theft, Providing False Information to Authorities, and Trespassing.
Officials said in a release that their bond was set at $1,000,000 each.
Khan was taken into protective custody, with the identity of the younger child not being released.
In a statement, his family said: ‘We’re overwhelmed with joy that Aziz has finally been found.
We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years. We specifically want to recognize the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for their exceptional work in solving this case.
‘Now, as we navigate the next steps, we ask for privacy so that we can move forward as a family and heal together.’
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said: ‘Our deputies responded to what initially seemed like a routine trespass call, but through sharp attention to detail and tenacity, they uncovered the truth.
‘Their ability to recognize the discrepancies in the suspects’ story and to follow the leads, even when the situation seemed unclear, ultimately led to the safe recovery of a child who had been missing for seven long years.’
The US Marshals Office said that Khalid failed to show up for a custody hearing in Atlanta, Georgia in November 2017.
They say she packed her belongings and fled with her son and new husband, who they identified as Bourgeois.
The abduction came about after a custody dispute that ran for years between the boy’s father Abdul, and Khalid.
According to Missing Kids, the couple separated in 2014 and Khalid moved her son from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Atlanta, Georgia.
Abdul had previously said that Khalid had made it difficult for the boy’s mother to let him see the youngster.
According to the Marshals Office, it became clear that Khalid was set to lose custody of her son, causing her to flee with the child.
The case had also been featured as part of Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ show, with the Marshals Office thanking them.
U.S. Marshal Enix Smith III for the Eastern District of Louisiana said in a statement: ‘This significant development follows a lengthy seven-year search.
I extend my sincere gratitude to all involved in the recovery effort, especially the authorities in Douglas County, Colorado for their swift and effective actions.
‘Also, we would like to thank NCMEC, Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, and Crimestoppers GNO for directing the public’s attention to this matter.’
Source: Linda Ikeji Blog
