Missing Kayla Unbehaun found 6 years after abduction when store worker recognized her from Netflix ‘Unsolved Mysteries’
A TEEN who was abducted by her mother has been found alive after her case was featured on a Netflix show.
Kayla Unbehaun was nine-years-old when she was kidnapped in 2017.
She was recognized by a store owner at a shopping center in Asheville, North Carolina, about 125 miles west of Charlotte, ABC7 reported.
The owner had seen a segment about Kayla on the Netflix true crime series Unsolved Mysteries.
Kayla’s mother Heather Unbehaun disappeared with her shortly before the girl’s father was set to pick her up in Wheaton, Illinois, about 30 miles west of Chicago.
The father, Ryan Iskerka, had full custody of Kayla at the time. Heather only had visitation rights.
The mother was arrested in North Carolina over the weekend and is being held on a $250,000 bond.
She’s currently facing one count of child abduction and could be charged with other crimes.
“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe,” Iskerka said in a statement tweeted out by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“I want to thank (the Elgin Police Department), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case,” he said.
“We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.”
Many Twitter users were ecstatic about Kayla being found.
“Excellent news!” one commenter said below the center’s post.
“Don’t forget to thank the store owner,” another commenter said.
“This man deserves an award or the very least recognition. I know he could probably care less about that, but it’s very hard to recognize a child 6 years later from old photos.”
One Twitter user wondered how Heather stayed off the radar.
“I’m just wondering how the mother stayed ‘hidden’ for so long?” they asked.
“I mean the technology is out there. I’m glad she was found, but maybe (there’s) more to the story.”