ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A 45-year-old man who allegedly ran off to Mexico with a 16-year-old Allentown girl has been arrested and the girl he was with located by authorities, according to Allentown police.
Kevin Esterly and Amy Yu were both taken into custody Saturday, according to Allentown police. It ended a search dating back nearly two weeks.
"Esterly was placed into custody by Mexican authorities. Amy is unharmed and in good health," states a release from Allentown police. "They will be escorted back to the United States to Miami Florida by Homeland Security Investigations agents and United States Marshall Service deputies. Once back in the United States, arrangements will be made to get Amy back to Allentown to be reunited with her mother. Esterly will be turned over to the Miami Police Department and then the extradition process will begin to bring him back to Allentown."
Yu and Esterly were flown to Miami, Florida Saturday. Esterly is in custody in Miami pending extradition.
Yu arrived at the Philadelphia Airport early Sunday morning and was transported back to Allentown, Allentown Police said.
On February 9th, Yu's mother went to pick her up from Lehigh Valley Academy Charter School and was told by school officials that Yu's stepfather signed her out earlier that day.
But there was no step father.
Police said it was 45-year-old Kevin Esterly who picked Yu up.
On February 15th, Yu family members said Esterly and his wife Stacey came to the Yu's 18th Street home.
John Yu, Amy's brother, said a fight ensued in which Stacey accused Kevin and Amy of having an affair.
Police were called, and the Esterlys were told not to have contact with Amy.
On February 20th, Amy Yu told police she added Esterly to her emergency contacts list as her stepfather.
The school revealed Esterly signed Amy out 10 times since November.
In the days that followed, Amy's friends said she sent snap chats saying she was done with this place and done with people who did not like her.
On March 5th, Amy left her bus stop.
Allentown police believed Esterly's 1999 Red Honda was left later that day somewhere in the Philadelphia area.
At 2:40 that afternoon Yu and Esterly boarded American Airlines flight 877 from Philadelphia to Dallas, where a local resident spotted them and notified law enforcement officials.
Yu's family said Yu had her mother's passport and $10,000.
Police said Esterly took $4,000 from his wife's bank account.
On March 6th, police were contacted, and Esterly was charged with Custodial Interference.
The search began.
Authorities said Esterly and Yu were already aboard a one-way flight to Cancun - just as Yu's mother was reporting the girl missing -after she failed to come home from school.
The Mexican government on March 15 issued an Amber Alert for the pair.
Esterly is charged with custodial interference, a third degree felony.
Stay with 69 News and wfmz.com for updates on this breaking story.
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