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A 4-year-old girl missing since 2019 has been found hidden in a cold, wet enclosure under a staircase in a Hudson Valley home.
Paislee Shultis was reported missing from Cayuga Heights, near Ithaca, in Tompkins County, New York, in 2019, before being located in Ulster County on Valentine's Day, Monday, Feb. 14.
At the time, the child was believed to have been abducted by her non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper, and Kirk Shultis, said Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra.
On Monday, after receiving information that the child was being held within a hidden location at a residence located at 35 Fawn Road in the Town of Saugerties, Saugerties Police applied for and obtained a warrant to search the home for the child, Sinagra said.
Around 8 p.m., Saugerties Police Detectives, SPD uniform officers with assistance from the New York State Police BCI, and uniform troopers executed the search on the residence.
At the time of the search, the owner of the residence denied having any knowledge of the child’s whereabouts, telling officers that he had not seen the child since she was reported missing in 2019.
A little over an hour into the search of the residence, Det. Erik Thiele noticed something about the staircase leading from the back of the residence into the basement of the house that caught his attention the chief said.
Thiele thought the construction of the steps was odd, something was out of place, police said. Using a flashlight, Thiele shined the light through a crack between the wooden steps and observed what he believed to be a blanket.
Upon inspecting the staircase, the structure appeared to be solid. However, detectives used a halogen tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet, Sinagra said.
After removing several more steps, the child and one of her abductors, Kimberly Cooper were discovered within.
The child was transported to SPD Headquarters where she was met by paramedics from the Diaz ambulance crew, examined, and released in good health.
As a result of the investigation Saugerties Police arrested the following individuals for endangering the welfare of a child and custodial interference:
- Kimberly Cooper, age 33;
- Kirk Shultis Jr., age 32;
- Kirk Shultis Sr., age 57.
Cooper was remanded to the Ulster County Jail.
Both Shultis Sr. and Jr. were arraigned in the Town of Saugerties Justice Court and released on their own recognizance.
Stay-away orders of protection were issued by the court against all three.
The child was turned over to her legal guardian and reunited with her older sister.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are pending.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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