YORKTOWN, Va. — A child from Yorktown who's been missing for about three months was found by U.S. Marshals in Cleveland on Tuesday. Now, the parent who marshals say took the child is facing charges.
Ashlee Benneson, a 31-year-ol,d from Newport News, has been charged with parental abduction, marshals say.
According to marshals, the 5-year-old child was taken by Benneson on May 1 and never returned. Benneson did not have custody of the child, marshals added.
Virginia authorities identified information indicating that the child and parent were in Cleveland, marshals said. Then, marshals say they were able to locate the child and parent in the city.
Benneson was taken to a jail in Cleveland.
The child will now reunite with the parent who has custody, marshals said.
“Cases such as these highlight the reach of our agency and team. The safety of children is a highest priority for us and we are happy to recover this child and reunite them with their custodial parent," said U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott.
