A five-year-old boy who had been missing in Lake County, Florida, after his grandmother allegedly kidnapped him, has been found safe, authorities say.
Authorities issued an AMBER alert for Jace Saunders Monday morning after his grandmother, 50-year-old Kelly Dasilva, was believed to have kidnapped him after workers with the Department of Children and Families tried to place the child in their custody.
Hours after the alert was issued, the grandmother turned herself in.
“Jace has been confirmed to be safe and in good health. He is being turned over to DCF....We are thankful that Kelly ultimately did the right thing,” Tavares Police said.
Dasilva turned them in to a neighboring agency and is being taken to the Tavares Police Department to be interviewed, authorities said.
Law enforcement had been looking for Jace, who had last been seen around 1:20 p.m. Sunday on Wells Avenue in Tavares, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.
“It is believed he was taken by family unlawfully during a DCF investigation,” according to authorities.
Authorities also had an active warrant for DaSilva for Kidnapping and Interference of Child Custody.
The alleged kidnapping comes after the boy’s parents – Taylor Judy, 27, and Brandon Saunders, 39 – were arrested Sunday for interference of child custody, Tavares Police said. They are being held at Lake County Detention Center, online records show.
On Sunday, Department of Children and Families workers showed up at a home in Tavares to take custody of the 5-year-old, but he was nowhere to be found, Fox35 reported. The workers learned that the child was with a family friend, 66-year-old Mitchell Morris. Despite being told to return the boy, Morris gave him to Day-Dasilva, the outlet reported.
Morris has also been taken into custody and is being held at Lake County Detention Center, records show.
