Children found after Code Red alert issued

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May 6, 2015 - 12:00 AM

A “parental custody” issue sparked a Code Red alert Tuesday afternoon after two children were reported missing.
Iola Police Chief Jared Warner said officers spent several hours searching for Dylan and Izabella Marlow, 8 and 7, respectively, after they were picked up from their father’s home in Iola by their grandfather, Theodore Witchley.
Witchley had told the father he had planned to take the children to the park, Warner said.
Instead, Witchley took the children to their mother’s home.
When they didn’t return, the father alerted authorities, who began scouring Iola and LaHarpe for Witchley.
Allen County officials sent the alert at about 6:46 p.m. via telephone and text messages after several leads turned up empty.
The children eventually were found with their mother, Warner said.
There were no arrests, nor will there be any charges.
A court hearing earlier Tuesday apparently helped clarify the parents’ joint custody.
“It definitely should have been handled better,” Warner said. “It tied up a lot of officers’ time.”
Allen County sheriff’s deputies aided Iola officers in the search.

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