DETROIT — Two young brothers at the center of a desperate multistate search were reunited Friday with the police officers who helped bring them home safely.
The officers came bearing gifts, pizza and support. It was a heartwarming reunion between an Inkster mom, her two little boys, and the police officers who helped rescue them after a kidnapping earlier this week.
"I thank ya'll and I'm grateful for ya'll and everything you all did," Dayza Washington, the boys' mother, said.
Police say 36-year-old Brandon Deandre Lee drove off with his two sons, ages 4 and 6, after restraining their mother in Inkster Wednesday morning. A frantic search ensued, with officers combing Detroit's Rouge Park. But authorities would soon learn the boys were more than 120 miles away, and that their father had taken his own life.
Detroit Police Officer Seth Beneteau got a crucial line on their location by pinging the phone.
"I received the cell phone number from officers on the scene," Beneteau said. "So once I placed those coordinates I received from AT&T into Google Maps, I was able to see that it was in Norwalk, Ohio, and, it was in around cornfields, so I contacted Norwalk dispatch."
While local police rushed to the scene, Detroit Officer Myangel Richardson helped usher the boys to safety over the phone — FaceTiming their father's device until the 6-year-old answered.
"And I just promised both of them that we're going to get you back home," Richardson said.
She finally laid eyes on the boys in person for the first time Friday. Inkster Detective Terrance Parker even made the trip to Ohio to bring the brothers back home.
"It was an overwhelming great experience to know that we'll be able to see those kids in great condition, you know, seeing them happy, overjoyed," Parker said.
"They don't even understand how much I thank them for bringing my, my grandsons home safe. And coming and showing them the love they just showed them and giving us the support," Dionka Jefferson, grandmother of the boys, said.
Washington says her partner's mental health recently declined after his own mother died. While she is overjoyed her sons are home, she is also grieving the death of the father of her children.
"That man took care of me the whole 10 years, and I will forever, forever be grateful for being in his life and having my children with him," Washington said. "I've never in my life seen anything like this from him. This is not him."
Washington says she is fully committed to getting her sons the support they need after such a traumatic experience, and this visit from the officers played an important role in their healing. A fundraiser has been established to help the family cover expenses and support the boys' ongoing care. You can view and contribute to the GoFundMe campaign here.
In the meantime, if you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, Inkster police urge you to reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
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