NEWPORT, Ore. — An 11-year-old girl from Orange County was recovered safely in Newport more than a week after being taken by her biological mother and spirited away, according to Oregon State Police (OSP).
The foster parents of Kaia Fina reported her missing on September 6 from their home in San Clemente, California. Kaia's foster mother was last to see her, and believed that Kaia's mother Sera Fina might have picked her up.
Despite descriptions of both Kaia and Sera and vehicle information of a black 2007 BMW, law enforcement agencies in California were unable to locate them.
On September 17, OSP in Newport received information about the missing child and learned that they could be in Lincoln County. With help from local police and sheriff's deputies, troopers began searching for the BMW provided in the description from California.
Around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, a trooper pulled up to a 2006 Lincoln Navigator parked on the shoulder of Highway 101 near Beverly Beach State Park to conduct a welfare check. The trooper quickly identified both Kaia and Sera from the photos provided.
Sera Fina was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on the issued child abduction warrant and fugitive complaint, with bail set at $150,000. The Department of Human Services responded to care for Kaia.
It was discovered Sera Fina had recently purchased the Lincoln Navigator the two were found in, and no longer had the BMW for which police had been searching.
