Missing North Carolina five-year-old kidnapped to California by her grandmother’s ex-husband found

The girl’s alleged abductor has been arrested

Police in California found a missing 5-year-old girl who was reportedly taken from North Carolina and driven cross-country by her grandmother's ex-husband.

Faith Leigh Harris, 5, was reportedly taken by her grandmother's ex-husband, 84-year-old Orion Douglas Memmott, police said. The alleged abduction occurred on 3 April, and the girl was considered missing until she was recovered Thursday morning.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office located in North Carolina asked the California Highway Patrol for assistance after learning that Mr Memmott likely fled to the west coast with the girl.

The CHP issued an "endangered missing advisory" which targeted Butte, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties.

On Thursday morning, the CHP announced that it had located Mr Memmott and Faith.

A spokesperson for the CHP told The Independent that Faith was found safe in Butte County, and that Mr Memmott had been arrested.

It is unclear when Faith will be returned to her family in North Carolina.

Charges have not been announced at this time for Mr Memmott. Mr Memmott was previously charged and convicted for tax fraud in 2014.

Orion Douglas Memmott, 84, and Faith Leigh Harris, 5, pictured on a California Highway Patrol endangered missing advisory after the girl was taken from her North Carolina home. She has since been located (California Highway Patrol)

He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for attempted tax evasion and subscribing to a false tax document, according to Yahoo News.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Memmott, a tax attorney, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors and law firm clients for use in day trading, travel, and personal trainers, according to court documents.

One client was left destitute and homeless after he stole money from her medical trust.

“For years, Mr Memmott acted as if his law license placed him beyond the reach of the law,” U.S. Attorney Wagner said in 2014. “Today, in sentencing Mr Memmott to prison, the Court made clear that attorneys who commit crimes should not expect special treatment.”