Authorities in upstate New York arrested four people after a woman and her two young children were allegedly kidnapped from a home in Perinton.
Woman and Children Found Safe
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office issued an Amber Alert on May 9 for 54-year-old Mouna Omar Saleh Ali and her two children, ages 7 and 9. Investigators later found them unharmed at a home in Rochester the same evening.
Arrests and Allegations
Police arrested Omar Saleh, 30, along with Gamil Ahmed, 31, and Dajour Paul, 26. A fourth suspect, Amar Abdullah Qasim Saleh, 26, was arrested Monday morning after initially avoiding capture.
Prosecutors said the children were allegedly being taken to Yemen. The suspects were charged with multiple counts of second-degree kidnapping.
Defense Claims It Was a “Rescue”
During a court hearing, Omar Saleh’s attorney argued the situation was not a kidnapping but claimed the children wanted help. The attorney said the 9-year-old had contacted Omar through a PlayStation asking him to “bring the police.”
The attorney also said Omar had guardianship paperwork signed by the children’s mother and had previously acted on behalf of the children in school and medical matters.
Court Proceedings
Omar and Ahmed were released under home monitoring with GPS tracking. Paul remains jailed as prosecutors argued he could be a flight risk. The suspects are expected back in court on Friday.
