Missing 6-Year-Old In Amber Alert Located, 2 Suspects In Custody

A 6-year-old girl has been located safe, hours after authorities issued an Amber Alert on Saturday.

The girl's father and his girlfriend are now in custody. Investigators have not revealed where in Norman the girl was discovered or what information led to her rescue, but she has been reunited with her family after a long day.

The Undersheriff for Pottawatomie County said it all started in a Shawnee restaurant's parking lot on Friday.

"There was going to be a child exchange, and it escalated, and it did possibly get physical," Undersheriff Dinwiddie with PCSO said.

The two people, the child's father, Ronald Hayes, and his girlfriend, Katelyn Stewart, are accused of taking the six-year-old.

The sheriff's office says the father did not have custody rights.

"It kind of escalated, and one of the parents left with the little girl," authorities said.

Hayes and Stewart were both arrested at the scene, where the child was found safe in Norman.

"The information we have gotten through investigating so far is that parent that has her, she lived with for the past several years," authorities said.

Hayes and Stewart were both transported to the Pottawatomie County jail to be booked and processed.

The girl's mother and grandmother spoke with News 9 during the search this afternoon, saying they received multiple leads throughout the day and they appreciate the community's help in locating the girl.