SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A 1-year-old girl is safe and sound after she was kidnapped from her City of South Fulton home early Thursday morning.
Neighbors told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that Cali McLean’s parents were fighting before her father took her.
What led up to that fight is currently unknown.
Little Cali is now safe and her father in police custody.
“I’m glad they found the little girl,” neighbor Ezra Owens said.
He told Washington that he was startled when he got the Amber Alert on his phone early Thursday morning.
#BREAKING UPDATE: South Fulton police have released new photos of the father and car they say is involved in the Amber Alert issued for missing 1-year-old Cali McClean https://t.co/FNjOunjRx2 pic.twitter.com/PttupWUDqL
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) March 17, 2022
“It said South Fulton and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s close to the house,’” Owens said.
Owens said when he looked closer at the alert details, he realized the kidnapped girl lived just a few houses away from him.
He last saw her during a Christmas party, where he said there was some sort of problem involving the girl’s father.
“That night it was kind of crazy because that same dude that took his girl last night. He took his daughter the same night and put her in the car without telling the mother,” Owens said.
“So, they’ve been having problems?” Washington asked Owens.
“Yeah, probably so,” Owens said.
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City of South Fulton police said Cali’s father, Erjahn McLean, got into an argument with the girl’s mother that quickly turned physical.
They said McLean then snatched his daughter, put her in his black Range Rover and took off.
“Anything can happen anywhere, but I was alarmed,” said Sarah Hood, who lives nearby.
She, like many people Washington spoke with in the neighborhood, assumed the situation involved the girl’s father.
“Most times, it’s parent related, and some kind of domestic situation going on,” Hood said.
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Soon after the Amber alert went out, police posted Cali’s picture on highway billboards.
A widespread search ensued.
About 15 hours later, family members confirmed to Washington that police found both Cali and her father.
They said Cali is doing well and is back with her mother.
“It’s by the grace of God that y’all found her,” Owens said.
We are still working to learn what kind of charges the father will face.
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