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Ulster County residents Kimberly Cooper, age 33, and Kirk Shultis Jr., age 32, of Saugerties, were arrested Monday, Feb. 14, after police found Paislee Shultis, age 6, being held in a dark, wet room underneath a staircase in a Saugerties home.
The couple abducted the then 4-year-old from her legal guardian from Cayuga Heights, near Ithaca, in Tompkins County, New York, in 2019, Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said.
The smart work of a detective who noticed a strange step on the staircase led to the discovery of the little girl who has been kept in isolation for the past two years, said Sinagra.
After rescuing Paislee, Saugerties police officers treated the little girl to a McDonald's Happy Meal, after she spotted a McDonald's while in a police car and said she had not eaten there in a long time, the chief said.
The officers immediately turned around and purchased a Happy Meal for the child.
Following a health exam and being found in good health, Paislee was reunited with her older sister and unidentified legal guardian, police said.
Officials have not divulged why Paislee was taken from her parents.
The chief said police had long suspected Cooper and Shultis of kidnapping the girl and that she was being kept inside the home that belongs to her grandfather Kirk Shultis Sr.
Sinagra said officers had searched the property several times but came up empty each time as the parents denied knowing where the child was.
It was a tip that came in this week claiming the girl was being kept in the home, which resulted in officers obtaining a warrant to search the property and Paislee's discovery.
All three were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and custodial interference.
Both men were released on their own recognizance.
Cooper was remanded to the Ulster County Jail on an outstanding warrant.
Orders of protection were issued against all three suspects and none have been charged with kidnapping.
Saugerties police say additional arrests are expected.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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