LIBERTY, Mo. — Sixteen-year-old Bethany Bednar and her dad, Daniel Bednar, says it’s a small miracle they’ve been reunited just in time for Christmas.
“If you had told me like a month ago this would’ve happened, I would’ve never believed it,” said Daniel Bednar.
His daughter and her 4-year old half-sister, Riley Reed, were found in Roma, Texas by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents Dec. 18.
The two sisters had spent 9 days in Mexico with their mother, 42-year old Maggie Deigh, of Liberty, Mo.
Clay County Prosecutors have charged Deigh with parental interference and endangering the welfare of a child. She’s accused of taking her daughters to Mexico without telling anyone, including the fathers, both of whom have primary custody of their daughters.
Bethany told FOX 4 her mom wanted to take the sisters to Belize because, “there was an artist community there and she didn’t want to do any research on it because she was afraid it would leave a trail, leave a trace so I wasn’t allowed to say anything about it.”
Bethany said her mom packed up the girls and left Liberty, Mo., on Fri., Dec. 7 and drove non-stop until they reached Mexico on the night of Sun., Dec. 9 adding, “she threw the cell phones out the car window as we were leaving.”
Don Reed, the father of 4-year old Riley, reported all three females missing Sun., Dec. 9 when his ex-wife didn’t return Riley from a weekend visit. Liberty, Mo., police didn’t upgrade the case to a missing person’s report until Fri., Dec. 14.
On Tues., Dec. 18, Liberty, Mo. police contacted U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to be on the look out for Deigh and her daughters. That same day Bethany says she, her sister and her mother were stopped at a police checkpoint near San Fernando, Mexico.
Mexican Police reportedly told Deigh she couldn’t travel further south without passports.
Bethany says her mom returned to the U.S. to get passports when they were picked up at the Roma, Texas border crossing.
“They were like well, you’ve been reported missing so we’re turning you over to the police now,” said Bethany Bednar.
When her father Daniel Bednar of Harrisonvile, Mo. got the call his daughter had been found, he was stunned.
“I never would’ve imagined that they would’ve been in Mexico for that long — the social worker that we talked with that had taken charge of the girls looked at me and said it’s not just lucky that they survived, it’s an act of God that they survived down there down there because they were in some of the worst areas,” said Bednar.
Bednar said having his daughter back in time for the Holidays is a Christmas miracle. “I think it is. I really do,” said Bednar.
“It’s real nice, it’s really good to be home, I missed it,” said Bethany.
Four-year-old Riley Reed has been reunited with father Don Reed of Liberty, Mo. They’re spending Christmas in Florida.