Mom finds kidnapped kids via Facebook after 15 yrs

SAN JOSE, USA: Off late, social networking is doing some really touching things for humans. In a latest event, a California mother tracked down her two kids, who were kidnapped 15 years ago, with the help of social network Facebook.

A report by KCCI.com, citing Police, said that the woman's husband, Faustino Utrera, had kidnapped their then 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

She said she looked everywhere for them, before finding out through Facebook that they were in Central Florida. In March, on tracking down her daughter's profile on Facebook, the children's mother added her as a friend, and they started messaging back and forth, the report said.

San Bernardino Deputy District Attorney Kurt Rowley said the mother contacted his office immediately after finding out her daughter's profile.

"We did some additional investigation until we located Mr. Utrera and the kids in Florida," he said.

However, for the mother, the rekindling of a relationship after a gap of 15 years did not take off with the expected spirit. When she sent the teenager daughter a family photo, dating back to before the split, the daughter said: “Not interested in a relationship. We just have a happy life. Leave us alone,'" MSNBC reported, quoting Rowley.

Utrera was arrested and the children were placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). With the father in jail, custody of the two teenagers was given to their mother.

The children are now working on a relationship with their mother, officials were quoted as saying.