Seven children from northern California, who have been missing for
five days, are believed to have been abducted by their estranged father
while their mother was out grocery shopping, police said on Thursday.
The children's mother and stepfather left their 12-year-old son to
mind the other six siblings while the couple went grocery shopping on
Saturday evening, Fresno police spokesman Sergeant Jaime Rios
said in a
telephone interview.
When the couple returned, the children were missing and their clothing and luggage were gone, police said.
Investigators believe the children's biological father, Xa Yang, took
them, Rios said, adding that Xa Yang was divorced from the children's
mother and was believed to be living in Sacramento.
Police in Sacramento and Fresno were working jointly on the case.
(Reporting by Stephen Keleher; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Bernadette Baum)
