Missing 2-year-old from Pullman found safe in Mexico, father detained
PULLMAN, Wash. (KOMO) — A 2-year-old girl from Pullman who was reported missing in early June was found safe in Mexico over the weekend.
The Pullman Police Department said authorities located the toddler at a roadside checkpoint near Santa Ana, Mexico. She was found with her father, 21-year-old Aaron Daniel Aung, and his fiancé, 21-year-old Nadia Cole.
Cole, a recent Washington State University graduate from Port Angeles, was reported missing to the Port of Seattle Police Department on May 29. Cole’s mother told KOMO News they were supposed to travel to Italy to celebrate Cole’s graduation, but she never returned after leaving to go to the bathroom while they were waiting to board their flight.
According to Pullman police, all three were detained by authorities in Mexico before being turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Aung is being held in the Santa Cruz County Detention Center in Nogales, Arizona while he awaits extradition back to Whitman County.
Police said Cole was deported back to the U.S. and the 2-year-old girl is in the care of Arizona Child Protective Services.
Multiple state and federal agencies had been investigating the disappearances of the toddler and Cole after they vanished on the same day.
Police said the toddler was last seen with her father on May 29. She was reported missing after her father failed to return her to her mother’s custody in Pullman on June 3.
Cole was reported missing after leaving the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Port of Seattle officials said Cole was seen on surveillance walking on her own leaving the airport, and it did not appear she was being led by anyone or forced to leave.
Authorities believed Aung and Cole had been traveling together with the toddler and initially thought they were heading to Montana. After a bit of investigating authorities then believed they drove to Mexico in a black 2014 Cadillac XTS with an Idaho license plate.
On June 5, Pullman police obtained an arrest warrant for Aung for first-degree custodial interference.
Cole's family released a statement about her return:
On July 4th, our daughter, Nadia Cole, was found safe and unharmed by Mexico police and was safely transported to the border to re-enter the U.S. where she voluntarily came back to her parents. Since her return, Nadia has been fully cooperating with authorities to help locate and aid in the safe return of Aaron Aung and 2-year-old Seraya Aung Harmon. She is recovering from her ordeal at a secure private location. Details of the circumstances that led to her disappearance remain part of an ongoing investigation, and we trust that more information will be released as deemed appropriate by the investigating agencies.
We are eternally grateful for the dedicated officers and detectives of the FBI, Port of Seattle Police, and the Pullman and Moscow police departments who worked diligently to ensure Nadia’s safe return since she was reported missing on May 29th, and for the successful safe return of Aaron Aung and Seraya. We would especially like to thank Security Services Northwest for their initial role as a central hub for tips and information as the missing persons case was progressing.
To our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and the hundreds of friends and acquaintances of Nadia, we don’t know how we could have coped with this situation without your love and support. Thank you.
Since early June, detectives with the Pullman and Moscow police departments have been working with FBI Seattle to locate the 2-year-old to reunite her with her mother.
