Kidnapped boy found seven years after being abducted aged seven, as police discover him 1,500 miles from home
5 March 2025, 17:34
A boy who was kidnapped aged seven in 2017 has been found, 1,500 miles from home.
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Abdul Aziz Khan was found by police officers by chance in the US state of Colorado on February 23.
He had been kidnapped from his home in Atlanta, Georgia over seven years earlier in November 2017.
Aziz was discovered when officers were called out to a burglary outside of Denver. The owner of the house called officers out after spotting suspicious activity on a home camera.
When police came, they found two children parked in a car on the driveway.
One of them was subsequently identified as Aziz.
Two adults who were in the house were arrested. They claimed they had been working with an estate agent.
They were later identified as Rabia Khalid, 40, Azis's mother, and Elliot Blake Bourgeois, 42.
Khalid is accused of abducting Aziz after losing a custody battle with his father in 2017.
The authorities have been searching for the couple ever since but "they fell off the map", according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Fair told the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Aziz was also featured on Netflix crime show Unsolved Mysteries.
After being caught in Colorado, the pair were charged with second degree kidnapping, forgery, identity theft, providing false information to authorities and trespassing.
Aziz has been returned to his family. The other child, whose identity has not been made public, was also taken into custody.
Aziz's family said: 'We’re overwhelmed with joy that Aziz has finally been found.
"We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years. We specifically want to recognize the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for their exceptional work in solving this case.
"Now, as we navigate the next steps, we ask for privacy so that we can move forward as a family and heal together."
The Douglas County sheriff, whose officers found Aziz, said: "Our deputies responded to what initially seemed like a routine trespass call, but through sharp attention to detail and tenacity, they uncovered the truth.
"Their ability to recognize the discrepancies in the suspects’ story and to follow the leads, even when the situation seemed unclear, ultimately led to the safe recovery of a child who had been missing for seven long years.
"I couldn’t be prouder of the work done by our team; this case highlights the commitment of our officers to seek justice and protect the most vulnerable. It’s a reminder of the incredible difference our work makes in the lives of those we serve."