PhOtOs-Pedo Couple Arrested-Kidnapped Kids Saved
Father-of-Three and his Girlfriend 'Intended to Physically Harm or Sexually Abuse' Two Amish Girls they 'Snatched from a Roadside Stall Before Holding Them Captive Overnight'
A couple has been charged with the kidnapping of two Amish girls who went missing Wednesday night from their farm in Upstate New York. Fannie and Delila Miller, ages 12 and 6, reappeared after 24 hours missing when they knocked on a stranger's doorstep 36 miles from their home in Oswegatchie, New York. They have since been reunited with their family. On Friday, local authorities announced the arrests of Stephen Howells II, 39, and 25-year-old Nicole Vaisey. According to the suspects' Facebook accounts, they appear to be a couple. They have now been charged with intending to sexually abuse or physical harm the girls and two counts of first-degree kidnapping. Scroll down for video http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...56_634x575.jpg Parents? A neighbor said three children lived at Howell and Vaisey's house. Above, a picture of Howell with three children posted to his Facebook http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...11_634x505.jpg Arrests made: Stephen Howells II, 39, and 25-yr-old Nicole Vaisey were arrested Friday in connection to the kidnapping of two Amish girls in New York http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...00_306x423.jpg Back home: Amish girls Fannie, 12 (pictured), and Delila Miller, 6, reappeared Thursday night after 25 hours missing. -Neither girl had been photographed before their disappearance, per Amish custom They have been jailed without bond. St. Lawrence County District Attorney Mary Rain said: 'The suspects agreed to go to the sheriff's office to be interviewed earlier today and they were arrested after those interviews,' Rain said. Police haven't released more information about the couple, other than to say they were arrested at their home in Herman, NY - 20 miles from where the Miller girls were found in Richville, New York. A neighbor described them as boyfriend and girlfriend and said three other children lived in the house. On his Facebook page, Howells appears to be a father to three children. It's uncertain whether his girlfriend, Vaisey, is the mother. Two cars were parked on the property, one red and one white, which appear to match descriptions of the vehicles used in the kidnapping. The couple could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Thursday night, an Amber Alert was called off when the two children knocked on the door of Jeff and Pam Stinson, 36 miles away in Richville, New York. The couple said the two girls were cold, wet, hungry and still wearing their traditional Amish garb when they knocked looking for help, a family friend told ABC Jeff Stinson immediately recognized the girls since he had purchased corn from Fannie before, and had read news reports about their disappearance. Before driving them home, the Stinsons fed the girls watermelon and juice and said they couldn't stop eating the fruit from hunger. They then drove the Miller girls back to the farm where they were happily reunited with their family. The Stinsons told police that the girls ducked down in the back seat at one point during the drive, after noticing their kidnapper's red car parked on the side of the road. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...27_634x476.jpg A photo posted to Howell's Facebook shows two cars parked on his property, -which seem to match the description of the vehicles used in the kidnapping http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...84_634x392.jpg Relief: Supporters gather on the porch of The Miller family house Thursday after the two girls were returned safe http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...63_634x346.jpg Distance: The above map shows the distance between Oswegatchie, the town where the girls disappeared, and Richville, -where they were found. About 12 miles from Richville is Hermon, NY, where the suspects were arrested at their home An Amish witness who was passing told authorities that he saw a man put something in the back of his white four-door sedan and, when he drove off, the little girls were gone. 'The girls walked up to a stranger's house, thank goodness they had enough courage to do that, knocked on the door, and that person took them home,' District Attorney Mary Rain told ABC News. The girls 'seem to be healthy' after being reunited with family, officials say. The episode left a sense of vulnerability in a community where residents said even small children often walk unaccompanied to school. 'One thing that comes from this is that people learn this can happen in a small town,' Rain said. "I think the public will take precautions, and that's the sad thing.' Patricia Ritchie, the state senator representing the region, said many are now reluctant to let their children play outdoors unattended. Ritchie said the Amish are responding in a way that may forever change a familiar feature of the local landscape: Some are taking down their roadside stands. 'This has sent a shockwave through their community,' she said. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...70_306x423.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...85_306x423.jpg If convicted in the kidnapping, the couple could spend 25 years to life in prison http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...77_634x736.jpg Howell pictured with another child on his Facebook account http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...55_634x422.jpg Above, the Miller residence where the two girls disappeared Wednesday night http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...80_634x448.jpg Crime scene: New York State Police investigators search for clues at a roadside vegetable stand where the two girls were working when they disappeared http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...47_634x456.jpg Search: Officials search a field after the girls vanished; a witness said he saw a white car near their stand http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...98_306x423.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...42_306x423.jpg Rescuers: The two girls were allegedly kidnapped, but escaped and knocked on the first home they came across. -Jeff and Pam Stinson (above), answered the door, fed the girls, and drove them back to their family farm 36 miles away http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...92_636x358.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...04_634x485.jpg Authorities released this Amber Alert for the girls on Wednesday evening, -including a file picture of what the girls were wearing when they vanished (top) http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...81_634x388.jpg Above, the food stand where the two girls were kidnapped from on Wednesday Two Missing Amish Sisters Found Safe: . |
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