A routine trespassing name in a Denver suburb led to the invention of Abdul “Aziz” Khan, a 7-year-old boy kidnapped in 2017, and the arrest of his mom, Rabia Khalid, who had been on the run for seven years.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Workplace introduced the March 5 arrest, crediting the eager instincts of deputies who responded to a housebreaking in progress at a vacant house in Highlands Ranch on February 23.
In line with the Nationwide Middle for Lacking & Exploited Kids, Khan was taken by Khalid and her husband, Elliot Bourgeois, in 2017 amid a custody battle in Atlanta. Khalid, fearing she would lose custody, failed to seem at a custody listening to and disappeared with Khan, prompting authorities to situation a felony kidnapping warrant for her arrest.
For years, the household remained undetected, however their fugitive standing unraveled after a home-owner noticed suspicious exercise at a property listed on the market and referred to as police. When deputies arrived, they discovered two kids in a parked automotive outdoors the house. A person and girl exited the property, claiming to be related to a Realtor. Nevertheless, as officers labored for 4 hours to confirm their identities, inconsistencies of their story raised suspicion.
Additional investigation confirmed the girl was Khalid, and one of many kids was Khan, now 14 years outdated. Each Khalid and Bourgeois have been arrested on costs of second-degree kidnapping, forgery, identification theft, offering false data to authorities, and trespassing. They’re being held on $1 million bond every.
Khan and his youthful sibling have been positioned in protecting custody.
Khan’s household expressed gratitude, stating, “We’re overwhelmed with pleasure that Aziz has lastly been discovered. We need to thank everybody for his or her help during the last seven years. Now, as we navigate the following steps, we ask for privateness in order that we are able to transfer ahead as a household and heal collectively.”
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly praised the deputies’ sharp instincts, saying, “What began as a routine trespass name led to the secure restoration of a kid lacking for seven years. Our workforce’s persistence in uncovering the reality is a testomony to their dedication to justice and defending essentially the most susceptible.”
The investigation stays ongoing.
