Girl found safe nearly 6 years after mom allegedly kidnapped her

A 9-year-old Illinois girl who was allegedly kidnapped by her mother nearly six years ago has been found safe, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Kayla Unbehaun, now 15, was found in North Carolina, the center said Monday night.

“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe,” Kayla’s father, Ryan Iskerka, said in a statement.

Someone recognized Kayla over the weekend at a shopping center in Asheville, North Carolina, and called police, according to WLOS-TV. The missing children center and a Facebook page named Bring Kayla Home have been raising awareness about her and posting age-progressed photos of what she might look like. Her disappearance was also featured in an episode of the Netflix series “Unsolved Mysteries.”

Kayla’s mother, Heather Unbehaun, was being held on a $250,000 bond and awaiting extradition to Illinois, according to CBS affiliate WBTV. According to the missing children center, a warrant was issued for her after Kayla went missing.

Iskerka told CBS News Chicago he had expected to pick up Kayla in 2017 after she spent a few days with her mother for the Fourth of July. When the holiday was over, he said Heather Unbehaun’s family told him she and Kayla never came back from a camping trip.

In his statement Monday night, Iskerka thanked law enforcement agencies that worked on the case and people who raised awareness about Kayla over the years.

“We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning,” he said.