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FOUND: Missing Mejias children located safe in Houston, Texas

Posted at 12:45 PM, Sep 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-28 08:46:52-04

(WTXL) - Two young children reported missing out of Live Oak have been found safe in Houston, Texas.

The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office says Brian Meijas, 7, and Gabriela Mejias, 6, were found safe in Houston, Texas. 

Sheriff's Office says that the whole family was part of a caravan, with a final destination of Madison County for some sort of family gathering. They were traveling through Live Oak and stopped to cash some checks.

The cashier at the check cashing facility noticed that the checks were fraudulent and called the Sheriff's Office. The cashier told the group that authorities had been called and that's when the group panicked. 

Deputies say two guys in the group ran to one of the vehicles and took off with the two children inside, leaving the mother of the children at the facility.

The two guys drove all the way back to Texas (where their caravan originally came from). The children were seen attending their regular school the following day, safe and sound.

SCSO says charges for the fraudulent checks are pending.


LIVE OAK, Fla. (WTXL) - A Florida AMBER ALERT has been issued for two young children reported being last seen in Live Oak.  

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Brian Meijas, 7, was last seen wearing a red shirt and blue jean shorts and Gabriela Mejias, 6, was last seen wearing a pink dress.  

Brian's hair is short, with a hard part to the left. He is missing teeth on the top right. He has a scar below his hairline on the right side of his forehead. Gabriela has long, dark hair past her waist. She has noticeable dimples, and all her teeth are crowned except the front four.  

FDLE stated the children were last seen in the area of the 900 block of Ohio Avenue North in Live Oak. They may be traveling in a black Toyota Camry, with a Texas license plate. The Camry has dark tinted windows and is possibly being driven by a male named Rochie. 

According to FDLE, the vehicle is possibly travelling in a caravan of three vehicles. One of the other vehicles is a grey, Chevy Tahoe or Suburban with lightly tinted windows and a Texas license plate. The other possible vehicle is a beige Chevy Tahoe or Suburban with no tint and it is possibly being driven by a male named Melecio and occupied by a female named Alexia.  

According to Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John, the two kids are originally from Houston, TX. and the plan was for the adults that they were with, including their mother, to go around trying to cash fake checks to different stores around Live Oak. Sheriff St. John told us they have a friend in Madison they were going to visit.  

Sheriff St. John said when one of the stores in Live Oak figured out they were trying to cash a fake check, the police were called and the men fled the scene, leaving the mother behind. 

There are possibly 13 subjects in total plus the two children. They may be travelling West towards Texas or West towards Madison, Florida. 

If you have any information on the whereabouts of the two children, please call the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office at 386-362-2222 or 911.