Megan Everett, a Florida mom who’s accused of kidnapping her daughter, is behind bars, a day after CNN’s “The Hunt with John Walsh” told her story.
A person who saw the show Sunday night called in a tip when she recognized the mother and daughter from previous encounters with them, the Putnam County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office said.
(An earlier version of this story contained information about the identity of the tipster, revealed in a law enforcement press release. CNN has removed that information because the tipline is anonymous, and the identifying information was revealed by mistake by law enforcement.)
That led deputies to a home, where they spotted the mother and daughter inside.
Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies and special agents from the FBI arrested the 23-year-old mother. She’s been booked into the Putnam County Jail on charges of kidnapping, interference with custody and concealing a minor contrary to court order. She’ll be extradited to Broward County, Florida, where there’s a warrant for her arrest, the FBI said.
Everett’s daughter, 3-year-old Lilly Abigail Baumann, was recovered unharmed and is in protective custody, authorities said.
Everett’s arrest comes more than a year after she left behind a note at the home of her boyfriend, telling him she’d fled with her daughter: “Dear C, If I let them take her and vaccinate her and brainwash her, I wouldn’t be doing what’s right. I cannot let a judge tell me how my daughter should be raised. We will miss you, but I had to leave. I know she will be safer and happier with my family and I. Love, Meg and Lilly.”
The girl’s father, Robert Baumann, told CNN he’d been searching for his daughter ever since, and was worried about what would happen if his daughter needed medical assistance.
“I think if something was to happen to my daughter, I don’t think Megan’s going to go and seek medical attention,” he said. “I don’t think she’s going to do anything to help the child.”
“I want my daughter to be found,” he said. “I want my daughter to be safe.”