The nephew of notorious polygamist Warren Jeffs will be extradited to Utah to face charges for allegedly kidnapping his 10-year-old niece after her parents tried to part ways with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, according to officials and reports.
Heber Jeffs was arrested in Minot, North Dakota, on Saturday, in connection with a child kidnapping warrant related to the abduction of his young niece, local affiliate FOX 13 reported. The 54-year-old – whose uncle, Warren Jeffs, is serving life in prison for child sex assault – appeared before a judge in North Dakota on Monday and waived extradition.
He will be extradited to Piute County, Utah, in the coming days.
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Mugshot photo for Heber Jeffs, who was arrested in North Dakota for allegedly kidnapping a 10-year-old girl. (Ward County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators executed a search warrant at a Minot residence prior to Heber Jeffs’ arrest, though it was not clear why he was in the North Dakota town, Piute County Sheriff Marty Gleave said.
First-degree felony kidnapping charges against Jeffs were announced in December after he and the 10-year-old girl vanished. The victim was reportedly not hurt.
The girl’s father, Dowayne Barlow, told FOX 13 she was allegedly in the care of her mother’s brother, Heber Jeffs, and his wife. Barlow was allegedly separated from his daughter after he left the FLDS Church.
Warren Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence in Texas for child sex assault related to underage “marriages.” (Reuters)
But when Barlow’s ex-wife, the girl’s mother, tried to resume caring for their daughter months ago, she was told she would not be reunited with her unless she followed certain conditions, according to the report.
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Heber Jeffs allegedly told his sister he “was cutting her off, and that she would ‘not be allowed access to her child unless she was going to get back in the Church (FLDS) by writing to Helaman Jeffs or Warren Jeffs,’” FOX13 reported.
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints women leave the Federal Courthouse following detention status hearing for a high-ranking polygamous leader, April 6, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Jeffs made his demands to his sister after their uncle, Warren Jeffs, reportedly claimed he had gotten a “revelation” from God calling on his followers to “gather” FLDS women “and prepare to move to a location or locations as directed by Warren Jeffs” or Helaman Jeffs, his son.
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Warren Jeffs is currently serving his life sentence at a Texas federal prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
