A little girl who was missing since 2017 has been found safe after a shopkeeper recognised her from Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries.
Kayla Unbehaun was taken from her home in South Elgin, Illinois at the age of 9, when her mother allegedly took her on a camping trip and never returned.
Her father Ryan Iserka had planned to pick her up from her mother's house on her return, however, she never returned, Buzz reported.
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Her mom, Heather Unbehaun, had removed all of her social media profiles and turned off her phone, making her untraceable.
A GoFundMe set up to help Ryan locate his little girl said: “As far as we know, no one has been able to reach her or has talked to her since the 4th of July [in 2017].”
He missed big moments in Kayla's life and was never able to give his daughter a birthday present after she was abducted by her mother.
He sent a letter on National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children's website along with images of Kayla, showing what she would look now as he tried to get information on her disappearance into the public sphere.
He wrote: "When I found out you were gone my heart was shattered into a million pieces. Luckily I have the love and support of God and our family so I have managed to make it.
"But there is nothing I want more than to have you back in my life. We all want you back in our lives. I think about you all day, every day. I pray for you and your mother every day hoping that you are safe and that you will return into my life soon. There are also so many other people praying for you.
"I am not mad at you at all and there is nothing to be afraid of about coming back. I want to hold you in my arms, kiss your cheeks and see those beautiful eyes of yours again."
Kayla was located last weekend after she was seen by a store owner in Asheville, North Carolina.
He stated that he recognised the girl, who is now aged 15, from an episode of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries. Kayla’s mother was then arrested.
Kayla is now 15 and has been placed in the care of North Carolina Division of Social Services and is due to be reunited with family.
Her father said: “I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe.
“I want to thank [the Elgin, Ill., police and fire departments], the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case.
“We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning."
Her mother Heather is now set to face child abduction charges and was released on bail.
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