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WEST VALLEY CITY -- A tired 10-year-old girl was reunited with her father early Saturday morning after being abducted by her mother Friday afternoon.
Aliyah Kay Crowder was found with her mother and suspect in the case, Venus Athena Barker, in the northern part of Utah Friday night. Police say that the exact location is critical to the investigation and will not be released until it is finished. According to police, Barker was initially unwilling to work with them, but after three hours of negotiations over the phone with Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, she agreed to comply with them and return her daughter. The girl was transported to her father, who has full custody of her, and reunited with him around 2 a.m. Saturday morning.
"(W)e would like to thank our community for their support and for all the prayers that were offered for her safe return," the father and step-mother said in a statement. "These prayers have been answered and Aliyah is doing very well."
Barker requested to speak with Winder, who police say she had tried to contact Friday morning. Winder, who had had no previous contact with Barker, said in a press conference Saturday that she wanted to articulate her perspective of "a fundamental dispute about the custody of Aliyah."
"I think by the time an Amber Alert gets activated, there's a lot of fear, a lot of concern -- they feel like wanted people," Winder said. "So once we were able to alleviate some of those concerns here, Aliyah's mother's version of this situation and calm her down a little bit, the situation really de-escalated."
Winder stressed that Amber Alerts are intended only to find and return children to their custodial guardians, and that not all of them should end in arrest. He praised West Valley Police Department for keeping cool heads and investigating the facts of the case. He also encouraged parents to take appropriate action to resolve custody conflicts.
"If you want your side of the story heard, stick around and tell it," Winder said. "Don't act unilaterally and take off."
He said that during his negotiations with Barker, he was also able to speak on the phone with Aliyah, who he believes was well-cared for and not in jeopardy at any time.
According to officials, Aliyah was taken from Silver Hills Elementary School, 5770 West 5100 South, just after 12 p.m. while waiting in the cafeteria line during the school's lunch break.
Barker entered the school and headed straight to the hallway where the cafeteria is located, passing the office where visitors are supposed to check in. In the hallway, she saw her daughter, grabbed her and forcibly began moving her toward the doors.
(W)e would like to thank our community for their support and for all the prayers that were offered for her safe return. These prayers have been answered and Aliyah is doing very well.
–- Family Statement
At that point, a teacher asked Barker if she had checked out Aliyah, to which Barker indicated she had. A secretary who had followed Barker from the office to the cafeteria intervened, saying she had not.
Barker handed the secretary an envelope saying it contained legal documents, which turned out to be false, and headed out the door. The secretary pursued Barker to the parking lot, but was unable to stop her from getting inside a dark gray Chevy Impala with Aliyah. The car, driven by Barker's husband Sanford Barker, drove away with the two inside.
West Valley police were especially concerned for Aliyah's welfare because this was not the first time the girl's mother had taken her without permission. They activated the Amber Alert around 4 p.m. after details were verified and all requirements met, said West Valley Police Sgt. Mike Powell.
In October 2011, the girl was reunited after her mother abducted and kept her away from other family for eight months. Police located her stepfather Sanford Barker in North Dakota after trying to stop him in his vehicle for a broken taillight. He sped away and led them to a trailer park.
After impounding the trailer, police found a photo matching the description of Aliyah. They found that she had been with the couple in Kildeer, N.D., and believe that she had been there since she was reported missing.
The investigation in the latest abduction is ongoing, and police have not said whether or not Barker is in custody or will be charged, though there are concerns surrounding Barker's "unpredictable behavior," Powell said.
