Alabama father arrested after four young sisters disappear from small town

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

An Alabama father has been arrested after his four daughters vanished from a small town in Talladega County.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) sent out an emergency missing child alert on Thursday night, saying that the four girls in the Buchanan family had been missing since 11.35am in Sylacauga, southeast of Birmingham.

The four sisters – Aaliyah Grace, 12, Isabella Jane, 9, Lacey Nicole, 7, and Gracelyn Hope, 2 - were confirmed to have been found safe in Clayton County, Georgia, on Friday afternoon.

Their father, Clifton Christopher Buchanan, was arrested in Etowah County, Alabama, on Friday.

His arrest came about 24 hours after the Alabama Department of Human Resources was set to take the children into its custody.

Missing: 12-year-old Aaliyah Grace, 9-year-old Isabella Jane, 7-year-old Lacey Nicole and 2-year-old Gracelyn Hope (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency)

The Talladega County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday that Mr Buchanan, 34, was detained for “interference with custody”.

Clifton Christopher Bucahan Jr (Talladega County Jail, Alabama)

He’s held at the county jail without bond, ABC3340 reported. He was admitted to jail at 10.24pm on Thursday.

The Talladega County Sheriff’s Office said the children were first noticed being missing after the Department of Human Services was handed a court order giving the agency temporary custody and agency staff couldn’t find either the children or the father, according to AL.com.