SALT LAKE CITY — The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety canceled an Amber Alert early Friday morning for two children taken by their father in Aneth, Utah.
Around two a.m., one-year-old Bailey Begay and three-month-old Braidin Begay were found unharmed in a remote area south of Dolores, Colorado.
Their father, 25-year-old Brandon Begay was arrested without incident.
Cell phone records led investigators to the area.
The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Highway Patrol, and state-federal partners were immediately notified and through their search efforts located the vehicle. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled with the children, however, local residents were able to provide information that helped law enforcement establish a grid search of where they believed the suspect would be.
Additional resources that were deployed to assist the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office were provided by San Juan County New Mexico, who provided helicopter support; Navajo Police Department officers, who were temporarily cross deputized for this operation by Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin; Navajo Department of Emergency Management and both local and federal agencies, who all worked collectively to assist county deputies that lead to locating the children.
“We want to thank our county, state, local, and federal law enforcement partners in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, as well as our own Navajo Division of Public Safety partners, for working together and collectively pulling together resources that lead to the successful outcome of this incident.” Chief Phillip Francisco said, “I want to also express my appreciation to Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin and his deputies for their partnership and determination in finding Baily and Braidin. We are grateful the children were found safe and have been united with their family.”
The children were reported missing by their mother shortly after they left. The home is located 15 miles north of Aneth store in Aneth, Utah.
The father was reported to have made threats of self-harm and has a weapon in his possession.
