INDIANAPOLIS — Three kids from Indianapolis are now safe in the custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services after a standoff in a hotel hundreds of miles from home.
"It's an extreme relief of stress and anxiety," Frio County Chief Deputy Peter Salinas said.
Salinas, who was at the standoff Tuesday night, said the Terrell children – 4-year-old Frankie, 3-year-old Queen and 1-year-old King – were found at a motel in Pearsall, Texas, which is about 50 miles from San Antonio.
"When you see that they're healthy and that they're out and they're being escorted by our officers – just to know that all of our efforts, all of our combined efforts, with so many agencies working together, be it state, local and federal – we were able to make it, get a good resolution," Salinas said.
Indiana State Police issued the statewide Silver Alert for the children on Friday, July 5. The children were last seen around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4 with their biological parents, Willie and Jessika Terrell.
Police believed the children were in danger because they did not have their medication.
Court documents say the kids' grandfather, who had custody of them, took the children to a restaurant to visit their parents on July 4 when he went to the restroom. Court documents say video surveillance shows the parents leaving with the children while the grandfather was in the restroom.
According to court documents, police checked the parents' phones and got a ping from one of them in Columbus, Texas.
Court documents claim Willie called his therapist and said the children were OK. He mentioned he was 288 miles from Mexico, and he wanted the FBI to investigate why his children kept being taken from him.
Police pinged the phone again on July 9, and it came back to Pearsall in Frio County, where the family was found, which is about 100 miles from the Mexico border.
Salinas said police tried to pull Willie over on Tuesday. Willie then led police on a chase to the family's motel room, where a standoff took place.
Negotiators were then brought in.
"They had them on the phone for hours and hours on end, trying to figure out what we needed to do, or what we could do for them to get them to bring a peaceable end to this situation," Salinas said.
Almost eight hours later, the family came outside peacefully, and the children were safe.
"I have to assume that they were probably frightened and not understanding what is going on and what has happened to them," Salinas said.
The parents are being held at the Frio County Jail, pending possible extradition back to Indianapolis. Warrants had already been issued for the parents' arrests on three charges of interference with custody by removing child from the state, in violation of court custody.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community for your support, tips, and information, which were instrumental in the safe recovery of these children," an IMPD spokesperson wrote in a release.