A boy's kidnapping case was on Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries'. He has now been found safe.
The child's mom is suspected of kidnapping him days after his seventh birthday.
A kidnapping case featured on Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" series was just solved over seven years after the child's disappearance, according to authorities.
On Wednesday, police announced that the now 14-year-old who had been missing since November 2017, was found with his mother, Rabia Khalid, 40, who allegedly abducted him from Atlanta, Georgia, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
The teen was found in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, 14.5 miles south of Denver, after police responded to a trespass call on Feb. 23.
Khalid, who did not have custody of the child at the time of his abduction, had an active warrant for kidnapping at the time she was arrested, according to police.
"This significant development follows a lengthy seven-year search,” U.S. Marshal Enix Smith III for the Eastern District of Louisiana said in a statement. “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."
Mother and another man have been charged
Khalid and another man she was with, Elliot Blake Bourgeois, 42, were both arrested and booked on the following charges:
- Second Degree Kidnapping
- Forgery
- Identity Theft
- Providing False Information to Authorities
- Trespassing
Both Bourgeois and Khalid each have $1 million bonds.
Police did not reveal the dynamics of the man and woman's relationship.
How was the kidnapped boy found?
On Feb. 23, at around 3:37, police were dispatched to a house in Highlands Ranch after the homeowner reported that two people illegally entered the property, according to police.
The property was listed for sale and was vacant, but the homeowner saw the individuals entering the property through security cameras and immediately alerted the police.
When police arrived, they spoke with two children, one of them being the kidnapped boy, but the other child's identity was not released. The children were in the car alone.
A man and woman, later identified as Khalid and Bourgeois, left the house and told police they were associated with the property's realtor, according to a press release.
Bourgeois provided police with an alias belonging to a "dead guy," police said in body camera footage shown during a press release that took place on Wednesday.
Khalid claimed she didn't have any identification, Douglas County Sheriff Darren M. Weekly said during the press conference.
Police separated the two, and "their story began to unravel as the deputies and dispatchers worked for four hours to verify their identities," according to the police press release.
Their identities were eventually uncovered, which led police to uncover the warrant out for Khalid's arrest.
As the police officer's investigation went on, the kidnapped boy and the other child went to a neighbor's house, where they were given food and watched Blue's Clues, a show created for a preschool audience, said Weekly.
The reason behind the duo's presence at the house is still under investigation.
When did the boy go missing?
The boy was allegedly abducted by his mother on Nov. 27, 2017, according to police. This was just 13 days after his seventh birthday.
The kidnapping happened shortly after Khalid moved to Atlanta from New Orleans, reported ABC News.
Khalid is listed as the person suspected of kidnapping him on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) website.
A felony warrant was later issued for Khalid in 2020, according to NCMEC.
'Overwhelmed with joy'
Since the boy was found, the family has been "overwhelmed with joy," they said in a statement.
"We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years," the family said. "We specifically want to recognize the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for their exceptional work in solving this case."
But they are asking for privacy at this time, according to police.
"Now, as we navigate the next steps, we ask for privacy so that we can move forward as a family and heal together," the teen's family said in a statement.
The process of reuniting the teenager with his family is still ongoing, according to Weekly.
Abduction featured on Netflix series 'Unsolved Mysteries'
The boy's abduction was also featured in an episode of the Netflix series "Unsolved Mysteries."
The show features cases on murder mysteries, conspiracy theories, and other unsolved stories.
In Volume 3, Episode 9, an episode of the show titled "Abducted by a Parent," the boy's father talks about the relationship he had with Khalid, how they met, and the boy's abduction.
The episode aired on Nov. 1, 2022, weeks before the fifth anniversary of the boy's disappearance.
Julia is a trending reporter for Paste BN. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com