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

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Four children, allegedly kidnapped from Utah by their mothers, were placed in an orphanage in Croatia, according to their families.

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

• Elleshia, 35, was arrested in Dubrovnik, Croatia, local authorities said

Four Utah Children who disappeared after spending Thanksgiving They were placed in an orphanage in Croatia with their mother, and the mother was arrested.

Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, was facing charges in Utah for allegedly kidnapping her four children and fleeing to Europe on a one-way flight on Nov. 29, 2025, PEOPLE previously reported.

Seymour’s ex-husband Kendall Seymour identified the children GoFundMe Starring Landon Seymour, 11, Levi Parker Seymour, 8, Hazel Raye Seymour, 7, and Jacob Kurt Brady, 3.

On Sunday, January 25, Kendall shared an update regarding the fundraiser that the children were “trapped” in a government-run orphanage. Kendall is the father of three of four children.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Elleshia was arrested in Dubrovnik, approximately 650 kilometers from the Croatian capital Zagreb. DNEVNIKA leading local news agency said on Monday, January 26.

Another local outlet, 24 hoursAlthough the ministry did not mention the woman’s name in its statement, it also reported the arrest by referring to the statement made by the ministry.

Media reported that Elleshia was arrested in connection with a criminal case involving violation of children’s rights.

PEOPLE has reached out to the department as well as the U.S. embassy in Croatia for confirmation.

The alleged kidnapping of the children came to light following a welfare check on December 2, when the West Jordan Police Department arrived at Elleshia’s home and found it empty and unlocked. ABC4 Utah It was previously reported based on court records.

It was claimed that Elleshia, who shared custody of her children with their father, feared the “end of times” and had concerns about “events in the Bible”, an ex-boyfriend had previously said. KSL Utah.

Her ex-husband Kendall also told the outlet, “I really didn’t know anything about his end-of-the-apocalypse beliefs until all of this happened.” “This issue did not come up in our marriage or after our divorce.”

On GoFundMe, Kendall claimed that Elleshia “left behind a note dictating a misleading message from God promising her that he would be in Italy by Christmas, and a to-do list that mentioned ‘shred paperwork, destroy identifying photos, throw away phone, buy prepaid phone.'”

It is not yet clear whether the children were taken from the orphanage.

Despite Kendall’s online pleas to return the children to the United States, the Croatian Institute of Social Work called for a thorough review of the case, 24 Sata, DNEVNIK and Telescope reported.

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

PEOPLE reached out to the institute for comment.

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Relating to: It was claimed that the mother kidnapped her 4 children and fled abroad because she was afraid of the arrival of the ‘End Times’: Police

In Utah, Elleshia faces four counts of custodial interference, local authorities said. KSL And ABC4 Utah.

While the case started with the West Jordan Police, it was turned over to the FBI. Both the FBI and West Jordan police declined to comment on the investigation.

Local authorities also told KSL that the case has now been forwarded to the Croatian police. It’s not clear yet whether the FBI is still investigating.

Other agencies, including Croatia’s foreign affairs office, 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 asking for more donations on GoFundMe to help her cover travel expenses while she remains in Croatia trying to free the children.

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 free and confidential. The helpline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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