Mooresville police say they’ve located and recovered a child missing more than two years.
Chief Kerry Buckner of the Mooresville Metropolitan Police said officers found Steven Bryan, 5, at a residence in the Bloomington area.
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Buckner said Wednesday that the father, Tyler Bryan, reported his son missing in 2022 after a court order granted him emergency custody.
According to Buckner, the boy’s mother, Deborah Bryan, emptied her bank account, shut down her cell phone, and disappeared along with a man from the same area.
Indiana State Police arrested Deborah Bryan on Tuesday on a warrant for interfering with custody, according to Buckner. He said Deborah, Steven, and the man, Caleb Blevins, were found at a residence on North Fox Hollow Road near Bloomington.
“An attempt was made to contact the occupants of the residence to no avail. A search warrant was requested and issued,” Buckner wrote in an emailed statement.
Buckner said a state police hostage negotiator persuaded the adults to leave the residence without incident, and the child was found inside unharmed.
He added that the child was released to Indiana's Department of Child Services, while Blevins was interviewed and released.
According to Mooresville police, Tyler Bryan requested assistance in retrieving the then three-year-old after a court order granted him emergency custody. However, officers weren’t able to locate her or the child.
The same day, according to police, the ex-wife of Caleb Blevins, called to inform them that he did not show up for visitation with a child they share.
Blevins and Deborah Bryan were in a relationship, according to Buckner.
“We also learned that Caleb Blevins had not reported to work and had taken his work tools out of his workplace,” he said.
“Detectives are continuing this investigation to determine if Deborah Bryan was assisted by others to avoid apprehension. If it is determined that others assisted her during this incident, additional charges may be filed.”
Buckner said officers from the Mooresville, Indiana State Police, and U.S. Marshals Service participated, and Mooressville detectives worked with the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center.
Messages left with the state police and marshals weren’t immediately returned Wednesday. The Bloomington Police Department wasn’t involved in the operation, which occurred entirely outside city limits, a spokesperson said.
