CALIFORNIA, USA — The search for two missing kids that spanned Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona and California is now over.
Tennessee officials confirmed Thursday that 3-year-old Noah Clare and 16-year-old Amber Clare have been found safe Thursday morning in Dana Point and that the 35-year-old-man, Jake Clare, who was believed to have kidnapped the children is now in custody.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, deputies received a tip from a "concerned resident" around 8:50 a.m. about a boy matching the description of 3-year-old Noah Clare.
At 1:30 p.m., Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes will hold a media briefing to discuss the discovery of 3-year-old Noah Clare and his 16-year-old cousin Amber Clare. The briefing will be streamed on the sheriff's Facebook page.
On Friday, Nov. 5, the teenager Amber Clare went to bed as usual.
"When I woke up she was gone. She left a note with her sister saying she was going on a grand adventure," said Amber's mom Jamie Bravata.
Bravata said she was still processing all of what happened after she found out her daughter left her home in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, with her uncle Jacob Clare.
"This past week we have been all over searching," said Bravata.
Jamie said 35-year-old Jacob Clare has been manipulating her daughter to leave.
"We found evidence of him grooming her which is why we believe she went with him," said Bravata.
Along with Amber, authorities say Jacob also took his 3-year-old son Noah. He has weekend custodial rights but never came back Sunday at 6 p.m.
Authorities say Noah was taken in Gallatin, Tennessee, and Amber, left her home in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. The two locations are about an hour and a half drive from each other.
"We had broke contact between Jake and Amber back in June for text messages we found that were not appropriate," said Bravata.
Bravata has five children. One of her other daughters showed Bravata the messages Amber and Jacob were sending each other through social media.
"He was not allowed around our children anymore," Bravata said. "He was not welcome at our house. [We were] trying to tell him if you try to talk to our kids we will call the cops on you."
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jacob was driving a Subaru seen in Arizona.
"I heard he purchased it on a Thursday or Friday - the day my daughter left that night. He used to own a Toyota Tundra" said Bravata.
Authorities found the Subaru in San Clemente, California. Bravata said in looking at pictures of the vehicle she saw a brown Carhartt hat she had bought for her daughter.
Initially, Amber was considered a runaway and then was listed as an endangered child.
Jacob Clare is potentially facing aggravated kidnapping charges with the TBI issuing an Amber Alert specifically for Noah. During the search, TBI tweeted several updates including pictures believed to be the three together in San Clemente on Nov. 11.