Kent Police still looking for father of girl returned after Amber Alert

Kent Police detectives on Wednesday continued their investigation into the disappearance and eventual return of an 8-year-old Kent girl last week.

The disappearance triggered Kent Police officials to issue an Amber Alert after family members were unable to locate the girl or her father for an extended period of time.

Family and police concerns for the safety of the girl were heightened when it was learned that several acts of family violence had preceded her disappearance, according to a Kent Police media release. Police spokesman Pat Lowery said police took the unusual step of issuing the Amber Alert after their efforts to locate and interview the child’s father went without success.

Several hours after the alert was issued, the young girl was returned to the home of her mother by an unknown man believed to be an associate to the child's father. Police confirmed that she not been harmed during her time away from home.

The motive for the father taking her without notice to other family members is not known at this time. There were no custodial issues pending, though tensions between the two parents had risen sharply in the days leading to her disappearance.

“It appears that the Amber Alert message produced just what we had hoped for, prompting the young girls father to return the child to her family without injury or incident," Lowery said.

Police have yet to locate or interview the father, a 37-year-old Seattle resident, though it’s anticipated that charges regarding the incident will be filed with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in the next few days.

Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

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