BLUE EARTH COUNTY -
Blue Earth County authorities are investigating the kidnapping of two children from a rural foster home. The incident was reported to authorities late Tuesday afternoon. Now the hunt is on to find the mother, Reina Gandarilla, who is believed to have taken the kids. Authorities are looking into the possibility that Gandarilla is heading to Chicago where she has family.
Officials say Gandarilla's parental rights were terminated earlier this year. Authorities say Gandarilla, 21, took her two kids from a foster home. Those kids are two-year-old Issiah, and four-month-old Iyanna.
Captain Rich Murry of the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office said, "At this point she doesn't have legal custody of the children and therein lies the concern." However, Murry went on to say, "We're not worried that she's going to do something to intentionally harm them at this point."
The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office says when the kids were taken, the mother was actually living in the foster home at the time, in a situation described as "Whole Family Foster Care." Murry said, "They had a recent order that allowed the whole family, foster care where they all moved in together, probably about two weeks ago, so the goal again was to transition back to independent living."
Now the kids are missing. And even though their whereabouts are unknown, the decision was made not to issue an Amber Alert. Murry said, "At this point it doesn't meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. We don't believe that the children are in danger of being injured by the mother."
Officials say they don't know where Gandarilla is right now, but one possibility is that she may be on her way to Chicago. Capt. Murry told News 12 that Gandarilla does not have a car.
For right now, authorities are just trying to make contact with the mother's acquaintances in an effort to find the kids.
The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office is looking for the public's help in this case. If anyone has had contact with Reina or knows her whereabouts, you are asked to call authorities.
