Sisters Found Safe After AMBER Alert Issued in Washington

GRAYS HARBOR, Wash. — Two sisters from Eastern Washington, ages 8 and 11, were found safe hours after an AMBER Alert was issued by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). The alert was sent around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, as authorities searched for the girls, believed to have been abducted by their mother.

The Odessa Police Department (OPD) confirmed that the girls were located late Tuesday, but did not disclose the exact location. Their mother was supposed to return them to their father by 4 p.m. Sunday under a court-ordered parenting plan.

According to the police, the girls were last seen at 6 a.m. Tuesday on W. Broadway Ave. in Montesano. Authorities indicated that the mother might have been traveling to Deer Park in Spokane or possibly heading out of state to Arizona, Utah, or California.

Online records reveal that the girls’ parents have been engaged in divorce proceedings since September. In court filings, the father claimed that their mother has a history of mental health struggles, including bipolar disorder, as well as drug abuse. He expressed concern that she had relapsed after withdrawing money from their bank account.

The police stated that the girls live with their father in Odessa, approximately 75 miles west of Spokane. As of Tuesday evening, the girls’ mother had not been taken into custody. The OPD is continuing to gather more details regarding the circumstances that led to the girls being found.