ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Four children who were last known to be in Centennial on June 30 have been found safe in Louisiana.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday afternoon that the siblings — 9, 7, 6 and 4 years old — were found safe, unharmed and in good health in Port Allen, Louisiana. They are back in Colorado now.
The children had been living in a foster home in Centennial and had a weekend visit with their biological father, Howard Myles, 47, in early July. He was expected to return the children on July 2, but did not show up. He has ties to Louisiana and Texas, CBI said in July.
As the investigation continued, the sheriff's office said it believed the children were in immediate danger.
An arrest warrant was issued for Myles a few days afterward. Investigators said on July 7 that they believed he was headed to Louisiana, where they are from, along with the kids' mother. An arrest warrant was issued for her as well.
“The children are believed to be in immediate danger due to a history of neglect, child abuse, drugs, domestic violence, weapons charges and previous dangerous situations they have been placed in,” officials said that day.
The children's mother, Clarissa Gardette, 26, was arrested at a hotel in Houston, Texas on July 21. She is still in custody at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility on charges of violation of child custody, failure to appear and contempt of court.
On Oct. 16, Myles dropped the children off at a family member's home in Port Allen. They were brought back to Colorado this week, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators are continuing to search for Myles. He was last seen around Port Allen on Oct. 17 in a gold Pontiac Grand Am.
“Our investigators have worked diligently on this case for the past four months," Sheriff Tyler Brown said. "It was a top priority to find these children and return them safely back to foster care in Colorado. We are pleased this case had a very positive outcome and we want to thank our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana and Texas for all their help."
No other details were immediately available. Anybody with information on this case is asked to call the investigations tipline at 720-874-8477.
