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Police: Mom lived with daughters on beach

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Published: Dec. 11, 2008 at 11:59 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Police in Florida were searching for a Philadelphia woman who allegedly kidnapped her daughters from their foster home and lived with them on the beach.

One of Tammy Kongham's daughters was found at a Fort Lauderdale mall, CBS3 in Philadelphia reported. Kelley Kongham, 10, told police her mother had said they had to split up.

The girl was begging for food and was filthy and bitten by insects.

Kelley and her sister, Kimberly, 8, were placed in a foster home in October. A few days later, their mother abducted them and headed to Florida on the bus, police said.

In Fort Lauderdale, they lived on the beach, digging a cave in the sand, Kelley told authorities.

"It would be nighttime, they would just start digging, digging a big enough hole so they could crawl underneath it," Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Kathy Collins said.

Topics: Fort Lauderdale
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