2 missing Lake County foster children found, biological mother arrested, officials say
Search continues for 2 missing Lake County girls
An AMBER Alert has been issued for two foster children who went missing from their Lake County home Thursday, officials said. Two young foster children, ages 1 and 5, were reported missing from their home in Sorrento on Thursday morning, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
SORRENTO, Fla. - The two young girls who were reportedly kidnapped by their biological mother in Florida, have been found, authorities said.
Tillie and Natalia Williams were recovered by law enforcement in Louisiana and are now safe in Florida in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
They were found with their biological mother 41-year-old Dixie Williams, who was arrested for kidnapping. The girls, ages 1 and 5, were reported missing by their foster parent at 7 a.m. on Friday.
Early Friday, an arrest warrant for kidnapping was issued for Dixie after the two girls went missing from their home in Sorrento on Thursday morning.
Cody Williams, the children's father, told deputies he believed his wife was heading to the Bahamas. Williams said Dixie has connections to the island country.
Dixie Williams (Photo: Lake County Sheriff's Office)
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"I don’t know for a fact if she did it; it seems pretty probable," Cody Williams said on the phone. "I assume she just gave up hope in the system, maybe, and she just decided that it’s better to take them."
Tillie and Natalia Williams (Photo: Lake County Sheriff's Office)
According to Cody Williams, the girls were taken by the Florida Department of Children and Families more than a year ago.
According to sheriff’s deputies, there was no forced entry into the home in Sorrento.
Dixie Williams will participate in the court process for the local charges she was hit with in Louisiana's jurisdiction, a spokesperson for the Lake County Sheriff's Office said. She will not be extradited back to Lake County for her warrant.
"As far as a timeline, it is unknown how long the process will take or if she will sign the extradition waivers in Louisiana. If she refuses to sign the waivers for her to be transported to Lake County, more documentation must be filed with the court system, and that may take weeks to get approval," officials said.