The Brief
A Dearborn man is being searched for after allegedly kidnapping a 7-year-old girl.
Police say this is considered a kidnapping because Jafar Almaarej is not allowed to have contact with the child or the mother.
DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - The investigation of a child kidnapped in Pennsylvania has now zeroed in on the City of Dearborn.
Big picture view
There was an urgent search for a child kidnapped from Pennsylvania as the child’s mother called Millcreek Township Police in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Now officials say there is a Michigan connection.
"She stated that her ex-husband, Jafar Almaarej, had come from Michigan to Erie for the weekend for a visit," said Detective Adam Hardner with the Millcreek Township Police Department.
However, when the mother went to work on Sunday, she left the 7-year-old girl with the father and soon received a terrifying text from him.
"Stating that he was leaving with the child, and he would be in contact later," said Hardner.
Police say this is considered a kidnapping because Jafar is not allowed to have contact with the child or the mother.
"The mother of the child has sole custody, and there is currently a protection for abuse order from a judge in Erie barring contact with the mother and child," said Hardner.
So far, the mother has not heard from her child or the father, and the search for both continues. It’s believed they could be in the Dearborn area.
"We applied for an arrest warrant for Jafar on the charges of kidnapping, interfering with the custody of children, and terroristic threats," Hardner said.
Dig deeper
The ‘terroristic’ threat charge stems from a threatening text Jafar sent to his ex-wife.
"Jafar sent her a text message stating that if she called law enforcement, they would have to search for their bones," Hardner said.
As police in Pennsylvania continue investigating, they’ve called on Dearborn police for help.
What you can do
Police are not releasing a picture of the 7-year-old child because she is considered a victim, but investigators want everyone to look out for Jafar and his vehicle.
"If anyone knows Jafar or has seen him or knows his whereabouts, please contact local law enforcement or 911 so we can at the very least make sure that girl is safe and returned to her mother," Hardner said.
The Source
FOX 2 talked with the Millcreek Township Police Department for information in this report.
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