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Sabrina Allen, who was abducted in 2002 in Texas at age 4 by her mother, has been found in a secret rescue mission near Mexico City and returned to the United States, the FBI said Wednesday.

Sabrina, now 17, was rescued Tuesday and her 44-year-old mother, Dara Llorens, was arrested in an operation conducted by the Mexican Federal Authority, FBI and U.S. Marshals in Estafeta Tlaxcala, about 60 miles southeast of Mexico City.

Sabrina was undergoing medical evaluation at an undisclosed location and was not immediately reunited with her father, Greg Allen, who has been remarried for 10 years and has young children with his new wife.

Her return marked the end of a 12-year search for Sabrina’s whereabouts after Llorens allegedly defied a court-approved custody agreement and fled the country during an outing with her daughter.

“You know I’ve spent a lot of time traveling in Mexico and had a lot of help (from Mexican authorities) what happened is, we got lucky,” Allen told reporters at a news conference in Austin. “She’s home.”

“I understand she’s been subjected to intense parental alienation,” he added. “We have a long road ahead of us.”

He told reporters that she was receiving mental health counseling and that “we really don’t have a timetable” for when they would be reunited.

When they are, “I’m going to ask her if I can give her a hug,” he said tearfully. “She’s in pretty bad shape is my understanding. I just pray for healing.”

“We’re eager to have her home as soon as possible, and will slowly introduce her to family members and do what we can,” he added.

His ex-wife, who was wanted on a federal warrant on charges of aggravated kidnapping, interference with child custody, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, had been under surveillance for about two weeks by an informant working for investigators, according to Philip Klein, with KIC Investigations.

Llorens was booked into Travis County Jail on charges of “intentionally and knowingly abducted the child by restraining her so as to interfere substantially with her liberty, by moving her from one place to another.” Bond was set at $300,000.

 

Source:  Usatoday.com