There is relief in east Charlotte on Monday after a missing 11-year-old girl was found safe in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the man accused of taking her is in custody.
- Arieyana Forney was found safe in Washington, D.C.
- Her grandparents, who were her guardians, were found slain
- Investigators think her uncle killed the couple, then took girl
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Police think Arieyana Forney was kidnapped Sunday after her grandparents, who were her legal guardians, were killed in their home.
Authorities say Arieyana's uncle, Curtis Atkinson Jr., murdered Curtis Atkinson Sr. and his wife, Ruby Atkinson, at their east Charlotte home and then kidnapped Arieyana.
After police found Arieyana's grandparents dead inside their east Charlotte home, they issued an Amber alert for the little girl. Hours later, she was found safe in Washington, D.C.
Police got a call from someone, possibly Arieyana, on Sunday night.
After a brief chase and a minor wreck, police found the girl, Atkinson Jr. and another woman in the car. No one was seriously hurt in the crash.
Atkinson is being held on local charges in Washington, D.C., but he will also be charged with the murders of his parents.
His criminal history shows he's served prison time for drug and stolen property convictions dating back to 1999. In 2015, he was charged with assaulting a woman.
Police couldn't say when Atkinson will be brought back to Charlotte to face those murder charges.