‘A miracle’: Toddler allegedly abducted by mother reunites with family after lawmakers step in

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - A 3-year-old Alabama girl who was allegedly kidnapped by her mother and taken to Mexico is back home after lawmakers stepped in.

Kionni Haugen, 3, was reunited with her family Oct. 4 after her mother, Haley Harris, allegedly abducted the little girl and fled to Mexico. Investigators say they tracked Harris using her cell phone data, but when Mexican officials refused to release Kionni back to the United States, lawmakers had to step in.

“I got some moms and grandmas on my staff, and when they found out that little girl, where she was at, then they made it their mission to get her back to America,” said U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, of Alabama.

Kionni’s father, Bryce Haugen, says everything started Sept. 21 when Harris showed up at his house, trying to take the 3-year-old. Court records show police responded to the home, and after the dispute, both parties agreed Harris would have custody of Kionni for the next 48 hours in Baldwin County, Alabama.

Haugen says instead of staying in the state, Harris immediately got on a plane with Kionni and flew from Pensacola, Florida, to San Diego before ending up in Mexico. He was stunned to learn investigators found his daughter more than 1,000 miles from home.

“I knew my daughter’s mother wasn’t gonna tell me the truth of where she was going to be, but I had no clue that she was gonna be taking my daughter to Mexico,” he said.

Now that Kionni is back home, Haugen says the family is taking time to relax and be together.

Moore says the 3-year-old’s quick return to the U.S. was nothing short of a miracle.

“The DHS [Department of Homeland Security] actually told us at the Atlanta airport, ‘Y’all don’t realize the miracle that just happened,’” Moore said. “This never happens this fast. It was a seamless operation with enough people willing to go to the mat on this issue to get that child back to America.”

Harris was arrested in Mexico and brought back to the U.S. She is charged with international parental kidnapping.

According to court documents, before Harris allegedly abducted Kionni, she had been living in Mexico with her boyfriend. Court records show he was deported in July after being charged with multiple violations of state law regarding sex crimes against minors.

Haugen says he was horrified when he found out his daughter was near that man.

“Why would you want to bring your child to somebody’s house, while you’re living with them, knowing that they got convicted of doing heinous things…to minors?” he said.

Harris has been booked into jail in Escambia County, Alabama, according to records. Court records show she will be detained while waiting for trial because she has the motive and means to flee.