Imprisoned Polygamist Warren Jeffs' 'Revelation' Prompts Nephew To Kidnap 10-Year-Old Girl

A 10-year-old girl from Utah who was allegedly kidnapped by her uncle was rescued and reunited with her family. The suspect allegedly kidnapped the girl after "revelation" from his uncle, imprisoned polygamous leader, Warren Jeffs, officials said.

Federal agents arrested the alleged kidnapper, Heber Jeffs, from North Dakota on Feb. 11. Heber is accused of keeping his unidentified niece at his home in Kingston, Utah, ever since she went missing in December 2022. Heber faces one count of child kidnapping in the first degree and is currently booked into the Ward County Detention Center, Law & Crime reported.

Heber's uncle, Warren is the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), an offshoot of a Mormon church that advocates polygamy. He is currently serving a life sentence in a Texas jail on child sexual assault charges for arranging marriages between children and adults, CBS News reported.

According to court records, Heber abducted the girl after Warren received a "revelation" from God in August last year, directing his followers to "gather" the community's women and prepare to move them to places directed by him or his son, Helaman Jeffs.

Heber was the girl's primary caretaker since her parents broke up when she was an infant. The girl's mother, Rose Jeffs, who has legal custody of the child, was allowed full visitation rights under the arrangement.

Rose disagreed with the so-called revelation Jeffs claimed to have received. She left the church and demanded her daughter be returned to her custody. However, Heber reportedly denied her access to the child, asking her to return to the Church.

Heber cut off communication with the girl's parents and went on the lam after cops issued a warrant for his arrest.

"She's safe, she's found," the girl's father, Dowayne Barlow reportedly told news outlet Fox13. Meanwhile, officials have not released further details about the arrest.

"This has been a real rollercoaster experience. It's been exhausting. We're not the only family that's been affected by having their children taken by the FLDS. And being taken to remote areas and hidden up. And putting parents through a hell of an experience of agonizing concern," he added.