Missing Idaho Falls girl found

Police said Monday afternoon that a missing Idaho Falls girl has been found.

An Amber Alert had been issued for Aaliyah Esqueda, 5, on Friday, but it was canceled Monday. When the Amber Alert was canceled, police at first said Aaliyah’s whereabouts were unknown, but quickly sent out another news release saying she was with her father in Mexico. Detectives are working closely with other agencies to bring Aaliyah safely back to Idaho, police said.

Police said Aaliyah was kidnapped by her paternal grandparents in Idaho Falls.

Maternal grandparents Debra and Scott Yagues, the legal guardians of Aaliyah Alynn Esqueda, 5, allowed her paternal grandparents, Salvador Esqueda and Irene Ma Esqueda, to visit with Aaliyah on Tuesday.

According to the Yagues, the Esquedas were supposed to return Aaliyah on Sunday.

The Yagues got information Friday via Facebook through one of the Esquedas’ relatives that the grandparents were taking Aaliyah to her father in Mexico.

Aaliyah and her paternal grandparents left on a bus from Idaho Falls around 11 p.m. Thursday, which lead police to believe that the family had no intentions on returning the child to the Yagues.

Second-degree kidnapping warrants were issued for Salvador Esqueda, 74, and Irene Ma Esqueda, 71.