2 Georgia Girls Abducted from Burger King Found Safe Hours After AMBER Alert Is Issued

Kylie Horne and Kylann Harper. PHOTO: GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION/FACEBOOK

Two girls abducted from a Burger King in Georgia over the weekend have been found.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued an AMBER Alert on Sunday after Kylie Horne, 11, and Kylann Harper, 4, were last seen at the fast food restaurant on Veterans Parkway in Columbus around 11:50 a.m.

“Kylie and Kylann are believed to be in extreme danger,” the alert read, indicating they were allegedly traveling with a woman named Mikaela Harrell and had possibly changed the vehicle they were traveling in.

Two girls abducted from a Burger King in Georgia over the weekend have been found.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued an AMBER Alert on Sunday after Kylie Horne, 11, and Kylann Harper, 4, were last seen at the fast food restaurant on Veterans Parkway in Columbus around 11:50 a.m.

“Kylie and Kylann are believed to be in extreme danger,” the alert read, indicating they were allegedly traveling with a woman named Mikaela Harrell and had possibly changed the vehicle they were traveling in.

After the AMBER alert was issued, the Columbus Police Department shared in a news release on Monday that both girls had been located safely at approximately 11:30 a.m. in the area of South Georgia.
In their release, the authorities explained that “detectives quickly initiated their investigation and gathered information, including a detailed vehicle description” after responding to the report of their abduction at around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.

While no update was provided on Harrell’s whereabouts, they shared that the investigation into the case remained ongoing and that “charges could be forthcoming for those involved in the abduction.” PEOPLE has reached out to the department for additional information.

Kaila Spires. COLUMBUS GEORGIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

A few hours later, the department shared on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter), that the mother of the two children, Kaila Spires, 39, had been taken into custody in Tift County, GA, and was charged with two counts of kidnapping.

The department expressed gratitude to the U.S. Marshal’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Georgia State Patrol, for their “support and assistance” during the investigation.

“Spires will be extradited to Columbus, GA, in the near future, with a court date to be determined at a later time,” the update added.

According to the New York Post, Spires has “at least one previous criminal conviction, a burglary charge that included breaking and entering at a residential home.” Harrell, who has not been charged and whose relationship, if any, to the children is unknown, was on parole between August 2007 and August 2016 and has at least two prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine, per the outlet.

There are 82 AMBER Alert plans established throughout the United States. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1,146 children have been recovered due to AMBER Alerts as of September 30, 2023.

[VIA]