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Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Authorities in New Hampshire have arrested the father of a young girl who's been missing for two years and have also filed unrelated criminal charges against the man's estranged wife. Seven-year-old Harmony Montgomery has not been seen since 2019 and police arrested her father, Adam, this week in connection to the disappearance.
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Montgomery's brother notified police after Montgomery told him that he'd given the child a black eye and "bashed her around his house."
Montgomery, 31, has been charged with second-degree felony assault, two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of interference with custody, according to court documents.
Harmony has not been located and authorities are asking for the public's help in finding the child.
The girl's biological mother, Crystal Sorey, lost custody in 2018 in part because of a substance abuse issue. She called police in November after she wasn't able to track down Montgomery or the girl.
New Hampshire's child services division told police late last month that it also could not locate Harmony.
Montgomery's estranged wife, Kayla, was also arrested this week on a felony charge of welfare fraud.
Officials say that Kayla Montgomery unlawfully received $1,500 in food stamp benefits between 2019 and 2021 because she was still claiming Harmony as a dependent.
