The 5-year-old boy was taken care of by a woman in Mount Vernon. The boy was then kidnapped and taken to Vietnam, Mount Vernon Police Department informed on December 16.
Specifically, the boy was handed over to Amanda Dinges by the Family and Youth Services Agency. As of November 29, investigators found that Amanda Dinges may have left the US with the 5-year-old boy and Amanda's mother, Ms. Amber Dinges.
Mount Vernon Police Department has opened an investigation with the help of the FBI, the Homeland Security Investigation Agency and the US Foreign Security Service.
Investigators later determined that Amanda and Amber Dinges both planned to flee with the 5-year-old boy. An arrest warrant for second-degree kidnapping has been issued for Dinges and his son.
After questioning colleagues and relatives of Amanda and Amber Dinges, investigators narrowed the search area and located them in Thai Binh province, more than 100km southeast of Hanoi, Mount Vernon Police Department informed.
On December 14, the 5-year-old boy was safe by US Foreign Security Service staff and taken to Tokyo, Japan on the first leg of the return flight home in Seattle, USA.
FBI agents returned to Seattle with the boy on December 15 and the boy was reunited with his mother on the morning of December 16.
According to US officials, Amanda and Amber Dinges are not currently in custody and are in Vietnam. Investigators are continuing to carry out extradition procedures until the suspects can appear in court for kidnapping in Skagit County.
US authorities have not yet issued an urgent warning about the kidnapping of children in the case because the date of the kidnapping is unknown. There were no problems with Amanda Dinges taking care of the 5-year-old boy before and there were no signs that the boy was at risk of death or serious injury.
