Mother, boyfriend charged with abduction in B.C. Amber ALERT case: Surrey RCMP

Editor’s Note: The missing Surrey children subject to a province-wide Amber ALERT have been found safe, according to Mounties. CityNews is no longer including any identifying information for privacy reasons.

The mother of two children who were the subject of a province-wide Amber ALERT in B.C. has been charged with multiple counts of abduction, according to court documents.

The boyfriend of the mother, who was allegedly travelling with the woman, the children, and the mother’s father, has also been charged with multiple counts of abduction.

According to Court Services Online, the mother and boyfriend are not currently in custody, and a date to appear in court has not yet been set.

Related Article: Amber ALERT cancelled in B.C., 2 siblings found safe: Surrey RCMP

An Amber ALERT was issued on July 19, after the siblings were not returned into their father’s care on July 17, in “contravention of a custody order,” according to court records. CityNews is not naming the adults in order to protect the privacy of the children.

The  was cancelled late Saturday night, after the Surrey RCMP said the siblings were “located safely” around 7:30 p.m.

“We recognize that many have been following this investigation closely since the AMBER Alert was issued,” said Corp. Vanessa Munn. “We sincerely appreciate the assistance from the public, media, community, and policing partners, who all played an important role in helping to safely locate the children.”

Children found at rural property in Alberta: police

In a media availability Sunday, the Surrey RCMP said the children were found at a rural property in Alberta.

The 160-acre property is just outside of Edson, about 190 km west of Edmonton.

Police say they became aware Saturday morning that there was a possibility the children were on that property.

Munn explains investigators flew out from B.C. that day, and were at the property around 7:20 p.m.

Happening NOW: Surrey RCMP to hopefully give us more details regarding the #BC wide #AMBERAlert that was cancelled after police say the two missing children were found safe last night. pic.twitter.com/dgN5aYtR0y

— Michael Williams (@MikeWillsTake) July 30, 2023

In an emailed statement, the Surrey RCMP explains the Alberta RCMP Emergency Response Team was “engaged” to enter the property in Alberta to “ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

“It was not violent,” Munn told reporters Sunday of the arrests. “There were varying levels of cooperation. However, police were not required to use any significant amount of force to take anyone into custody.”

Investigators add three adults were found at the location, and the mother and boyfriend were arrested. The third adult, believed to be the mother’s father, has also been detained.

The RCMP confirms one person received a medical assessment. However, Mounties did not confirm the identity of that person.

It is believed the group had been at the rural property since July 18, one day before the Amber ALERT was issued by police.

NEW: @SurreyRCMP says the two kids the subject of days long AMBER Alert were found on rural property near Edson, Alberta. Their mother and her boyfriend have been charged. @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/afZZV1vr1N

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) July 30, 2023

The siblings have now been reunited with their father, who was waiting at a nearby RCMP detachment. Police say he is relieved to have his children back.

“The children are doing well, considering everything,” Munn explained.

“I think there was a level of comfort in them being quickly reunited with their father. Obviously, there is a lot for them to process given the totality of this situation. But the most important thing is that they were located safely.”

Mounties say they received 435 tips from the public over 11 days, with some coming from as far as New Brunswick.

Reunification was ‘extremely emotional,’ police say

Police are not sharing the “specifics” of the condition of the children. However, Munn says police will be following up with them in the coming days and weeks.

The family had an “extremely emotional reaction” when reunited, Munn says.

“I think they’ve been under a lot of stress in the last few weeks, and there’s just so many unknowns, so I think it was just a huge, huge relief to the family to hear that the children were located safely,” she said.

“When the father allowed the children to go on vacation with the mom, obviously, this was not the anticipated outcome,” Munn explained. “I have no doubt that if the father believed this is something that could have occurred, he would not have allowed the children to go.”

The property in Alberta was being searched Sunday, Mounties confirm.

“Surrey RCMP received invaluable assistance from our policing partners in Alberta, who stepped in to provide support without hesitation. We are deeply grateful to the Edson RCMP, Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Alberta RCMP Emergency Response Team, and RCMP Air Services. Their combined efforts played a vital role in helping us safely locate and recover the children,” the Surrey RCMP said.

“This is the outcome we have all been hoping for, and it is the direct result of the hard work and perseverance of the investigative team.”

–With files from Hana Mae Nassar and Michael Williams