A Georgia teenager, who disappeared seven years ago, has been found safe in Colorado which led to the arrest of his mother and stepfather on kidnapping charges. Fourteen-year-old Abdul Aziz Khan was reported missing in November 2017 after his mother, Rabia Khalid, didn’t appear at a scheduled custody hearing.
The case, which recently featured on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, was cracked when authorities in Colorado responded to an unrelated burglary report.
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were called to a home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on February 23 after the homeowner reported a possible break-in. The homeowner discovered the break-in after monitoring his security cameras.
Upon arrival, officers found two adults inside the house and two children waiting in a vehicle outside.
The two adults – Khalid, 40, and her husband Elliot Blake Bourgeois, 42 – claimed to be working for a real estate firm. Inconsistencies in their statements raised suspicion.
Investigations then led to the shocking revelation that one of the children in the car was Abdul Aziz Khan, missing for nearly seven years.
Sheriff Darren Weekly praised the deputies for their diligence in finding the truth. “Our deputies responded to what initially seemed like a routine trespass call, but through sharp attention to detail and tenacity, they uncovered the truth,” Weekly said in a statement, according to The New York Post.
He said the officers’ ability to spot inconsistencies and persistence in following leads helped safely recover the missing child.
Aziz’s relatives expressed relief after US Marshals informed them of his rescue. “We’re overwhelmed with joy that Aziz has finally been found. We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years,” the family said.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also commended the deputies’ quick thinking.
Khalid and Bourgeois were arrested and booked on multiple charges, including kidnapping, forgery, identity theft, providing false information to authorities and trespassing. Their bail has been set at $1 million each.
Aziz and the second child, whose identity has not been disclosed, have been placed in protective custody, with the court set to determine their next steps.