Utah Siblings Who Went Missing on Thanksgiving Found in European Orphanage, Police Arrest Mom Who Left Behind ‘To-Do List’

need to know

• Four children who were allegedly abducted by their mother from Utah are in an orphanage in Croatia, their families say.

• Landon Seymour, 11, Levi Parker Seymour, 8, Hazel Rae Seymour, 7, and 3-year-old Jacob Kurt Brady disappeared after a Thanksgiving visit with their mother, Alecia Anne Seymour.

• Alecia, 35, was arrested in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, local authorities said

Four Utah children who went missing after spending Thanksgiving with their mother have been located in an orphanage in Croatia, and the mother has been arrested.

Alecia Anne Seymour, 35, was already facing charges in Utah after she kidnapped her four children and fled on a one-way flight to Europe on Nov. 29, 2025, PEOPLE previously reported.

Seymour’s ex-husband Kendall Seymour identified the children on GoFundMe as Landon Seymour, 11, Levi Parker Seymour, 8, Hazel Ray Seymour, 7, and 3-year-old Jacob Kurt Brady.

On Sunday, January 25, Kendall shared an update on funding for children “trapped” in state-run orphanages. Kendall is the father of three of four children.

Alesia was arrested in Dubrovnik, about 400 miles from Croatia’s capital Zagreb, the country’s foreign ministry confirmed to leading local news agency DNEVNIK on Monday, January 26.

Another local outlet, 24 Week, also reported on the arrest, citing a statement from the ministry, although the ministry did not name the woman in its statement.

Alessia was arrested on criminal charges related to the violation of children’s rights, outlets reported.

People have reached out to the ministry and the U.S. Embassy in Croatia for confirmation.

The children’s alleged abduction came to light after a welfare check on Dec. 2, when the West Jordan Police Department arrived at Alecia’s residence and found it empty and unlocked, ABC4 Utah previously reported, citing court records.

Alessia, who shares custody with the father of her children, was reportedly worried about the “end times” and “biblical events,” an ex-boyfriend previously told KSL Utah.

“I didn’t know anything about her final faith until all of this happened,” ex-husband Kendall added to the outlet. “It didn’t come after our marriage or divorce.”

On GoFundMe, Kendall alleged that Alecia “left a note with a misleading message from God promising to come to Italy for Christmas, and a to-do list that included ‘shredding paper, destroying identification photos, throwing away the phone, buying a pre-paid phone.’

It was not immediately clear if the children were removed from the orphanage.

The Croatian Institute for Social Work has called for a comprehensive review of the case to return the children to the US despite Kendall’s online pleas, 24 Sata, DNEVNIK and Teleskop reported.

“Given the international element of the case, it is essential that competent authorities in the United States review all relevant facts and circumstances before making a decision to surrender the children to the father,” the institute said in a statement.

PEOPLE has reached out to the institute for comment.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details on intriguing unsolved cases.

RELATED: Mother allegedly kidnaps her 4 children and flees abroad fearing ‘end times’: Police

In Utah, Elleshia is facing four counts of custodial interference, local officials said, per KSL and ABC4 Utah.

While the case originated with West Jordan police, it was handed over to the FBI. The FBI and West Jordan police declined to comment on the investigation.

The case is now being referred to Croatian police, local officials told KSL. It was not immediately clear whether the FBI was still investigating.

Other organizations, such as Croatia’s Office of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Consulate in Croatia, and the Utah Department of Public Safety, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Kendall is seeking additional donations on GoFundMe to help cover travel expenses while she is in Croatia trying to get the children released.

If you suspect child abuse, call the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in over 170 languages.

Read the original article on People