Missing Georgia brothers found in Texas

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AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Two young brothers from Georgia missing for several days with their father were found safe in Texas Saturday and their father was arrested, police said.

Police in Roswell, Ga., said Ben and Henry Cleary, ages 9 and 7, were found unharmed in Austin, Texas, and their father Daniel Cleary, 46, of Roswell, was taken into custody, WMAZ-TV, Macon, Ga., reported.

Austin police Lt. Wuthipong Tantaksinanukij said officers, acting on a tip, found the father and boys at the Crossland Austin West hotel, CNN reported. He said Cleary was being held at the Williamson County Jail.

Roswell Police Lt. James H. McGee said Cleary will be charged with interstate interference with custody and extradited back to Georgia.

The boys' mother, Theresa Nash, said the boys had gone with their father to see the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. But Daniel Cleary shut off his cellphone Dec. 23 and Nash said when they didn't return by Dec. 26 as scheduled, she found out her estranged husband also had emptied his house, abandoned his car and purchased a gun.

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, said the situation prompted a nationwide Amber Alert because Cleary had violated a court order by not being in touch with Nash for several days.

"He bought a Glock a month ago," Nash told WGCL-TV before the boys were found. "He is drinking. He is under extreme stress because he probably realizes that he's kidnapped the kids and there's now an Amber Alert.

"I last heard from them on the 22nd of this month. He's ditched his car in a parking lot and he has found a new car."

Nash said she would be flying to Texas to be reunited with her children.