Authorities in Brevard County said they are looking for a family of four after they say the parents made a suicide pact and planned to kill their two young children.

Melbourne police said they have received a few leads, but no reported sightings of James and Mai Firth, or their two daughters, 4-year-old Kristen and 2-year-old Kiah.

  • Family sought in Brevard:
    • James Firth, 43
    • Mai Firth, 31
    • Kristen Firth, 4
    • Kiah Firth, 2

According to police, the family traveled from Vietnam to Brevard County to get help for their 4-year-old, who is autistic.

But police said that if costs became too much, or if treatment didn't work, the parents were prepared to kill Kristen, her younger sister, and then themselves.

"We just want to make sure the children are OK," said Melbourne police Lt. Byron Barnes. "This statement could have been made out of frustration or exacerbation because of the financial burden borne by these parents for taking care of this autistic child. So, we just want to make sure that the children are OK and tend to their well-being."

Police said the family was last seen at the Florida Institute of Technology, in Melbourne, most likely to visit the Scott Center for Autism Treatment.

A spokeswoman with Florida Tech said she could not comment on whether the family sought treatment at the Scott Center, but added parents from around the world do come to FIT to get help for their children.

The Florida Department of Children and Families said they made contact with the Firths earlier in the week after receiving reports of the alleged suicide pact.

DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said field workers "actually made face-to-face contact, so we have seen the children."

"We saw them on Wednesday," Hoeppner added. "We were able to assess their physical condition. I believe that, at the time, they were physically OK. But during the process of that investigation, they did flee from Child Protection officials."

Melbourne police said they believe the family could be making their way to California, and ultimately back to Vietnam.

Still, police and DCF said all they want to do right now is make sure Kristen and Kiah are safe.

Police explained an Amber Alert was not issued in this case, because the children were not technically abducted.

After investigators visited several hotels, they have not been able to locate the family but are asking for any help from the public.

Police said James Firth has family in Ormond Beach, as well as Michigan and Arizona.

Mai Firth is of Asian descent, and was last seen wearing a multicolored flower dress and a black coat. James Firth is a white male with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen dressed all in black.

Both daughters are of Asian descent, with black hair and brown eyes. Kiah, 2, was last seen wearing a pink sun dress. Kristin, 4, was wearing a blue sun dress with a bow in the back.

The Firth family was last seen in a silver 2002 Lexus SUV with Florida tag 612-PGW.

If you know where the family might be, contact Melbourne police at (321) 409-2200.