Mother accused of kidnapping, arrested in Asheville over the weekend, released on bond

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Authorities confirm, the woman who was arrested in Asheville over the weekend, accused of kidnapping her daughter back in 2017, made bail Tuesday morning and has been released.

Heather E. Unbehaun, 40, was taken into custody on Saturday, May 13 on Westgate Parkway.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) announced Monday, a girl who had been missing from Illinois since 2017 and was featured on the Netflix "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot, was found in Asheville.

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NCMEC says Kayla Unbehaun was nine years old when she was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Heather, from South Elgin, Illinois on July 5, 2017.

"I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank [the City of Elgin, Illinois Police and Fire Departments], the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case," her father, Ryan, said in a statement. "We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning."

The Asheville Police Department tells News 13 that the girl was spotted on Saturday near Plato's Closet just before 7:30 p.m. An employee at the store recognized the missing child from a "well-publicized media" and contacted the police.

“It really was a sequence of events where the caller felt like they had made an identification, and called the police, and the police responded and we’re persistent with their investigation," said Asheville PoliceLt. Jonathan Brown.

After further investigation, officers confirmed this was the missing child. The abductor, Heather Unbehaun, was arrested and booked into the Buncombe County Jail.

Lt. Brown told News 13 this has been an unusual case.

"I certainly think this is a unique case," Lt. Brown said. "It is unusual, it’s not a case that we see routinely or often.”

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After being found, Kayla was turned over to the North Carolina Department of Social Services and they contacted Illinois authorities. The day after she was found, her father drove to pick her up. She has since returned to Illinois.

Heather Unbehaun was being held on a $250,000 bond, awaiting extradition. On Tuesday afternoon, May 16, Asheville authorities confirmed with News 13, Heather Unbehaun had made bail and been released.

Herfirst court date is July 11, 2023 in Buncombe County.

Lt. Brown said another unique part to the case was the fact that Unbehaun had been able to evade authorities for as long as she did.

“What’s most unusual is the ability to stay off the grid, if you will, for that period of time," he said. "Typically we leave a technological bread crumb and those are usually very easy and quick to be tracked down. This was not.”

This is a developing story. Check back at WLOS.com for updates.