Avery Doherty, a 6-year-old from Ames, was found safe on Peaks Island, an island off the coast of Maine, Wednesday after being removed from Iowa around Oct. 14 according to a release from the Ames Police Department.
Esther Bender, the mother of Doherty, was arrested for allegedly unlawfully removing Doherty from the state of Iowa, a violation of a court order, the release states.
Previous information released indicated Ames Police believed Bender to have been with Doherty during the entirety of the search.
“We want to thank the Story County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police, Portland (ME) Police Department and the FBI for their assistance in this continued investigation,” the release reads.
The release gave information on where to report any knowledge of the incident.
“Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Ames Police Department at (515) 239-5133 or the anonymous tip line (515) 239-5533. You may also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at (515) 223-1400. Online anonymous tips may be submitted to www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com,” the release reads.
