Two Little Sisters Go Missing after Last Seen in Pajamas in Their Home at 11 p.m.
An amber alert has been issued for two Lake County sisters missing from their foster home. It's believed that one of the children's biological parent might be involved in their disappearance after their adoptive mother reported them missing from her home.
On January 25, 2024, the Lake County Sheriff's Office in Florida took to its Facebook account to share an alert for two missing children. Along with several pictures of the little girls, the Sheriff's Office revealed that on that day, their foster parent contacted the Lake County Communication Center about her issue.
An amber alert about missing sisters Tillie Claire and Natalia Williams on January 25, 2024, in Lake County, Florida | Source: Facebook/Lake County Sheriff's Office - Florida
The woman revealed to the center at 7 a.m. that her two juvenile foster children had disappeared from their home. The missing children are Tillie Claire Williams, five years old and 3' 5" tall and 45 lbs., and Natalia Williams, one-and-a-half years old 2' 05", and around 30 lbs.
Tillie is described as having long, straight brown hair and brown eyes and was wearing gray or navy-blue pajamas with a multicolored hearts design when she was last seen. Her younger sister has short brown curly hair and was wearing a pink pajama dress and matching pants with hearts when she disappeared.
An amber alert about Natalia Williams on January 25, 2024, in Lake County, Florida | Source: Facebook/Lake County Sheriff's Office - Florida
The pair's adoptive mother last saw them at 11 p.m. on the previous night, and no one currently knows where they are. Lake County sheriff's detectives attended the matter by going to the scene, are now actively investigating, and revealed no sign of forced entry into the home.
An amber alert about Tillie Claire Williams on January 25, 2024, in Lake County, Florida | Source: Facebook/Lake County Sheriff's Office - Florida
One theory they have is that the children might be with their biological parents and look into questioning them. It isn't clear how the children left their residence, and detectives have now gotten additional law enforcement resources to push the search.
They clashed over the parent insisting she didn't require a driving license.
Authorities managed to get a hold of the missing children's biological father, Cody Williams. When he spoke to deputies on the phone, Cody told them that he thought the girls were with their biological mother, his wife, Dixie Stumpner Williams.
An amber alert about Natalia Williams on January 25, 2024, in Lake County, Florida | Source: Facebook/Lake County Sheriff's Office - Florida
Cody said Dixie could be off to the Bahamas with the children as she has connections there. However, he clarified that he didn't know for a fact that she has the children but feels it is possible, with him adding:
"I assume she just gave up hope in the system, maybe, and she just decided that it's better to take them."
The circumstances that led to Tillie and Natalia's fostering were heartbreaking. The children's parents were lucky enough to get frequent physical contact with the girls after entering the foster care system before it became virtual. Cody explained that his and Dixie's daughters were taken in by the Florida Department of Children and Families (FDCF) over a year ago.
The children got visits at their foster home until January 8, 2024, before they switched to Zoom sessions. According to reports, they last had a Zoom call with their parents on January 24, 2024.
Lieutenant John Harrell confirmed that the FDCF took custody of Tillie and Natalia from their biological parents almost two years ago, meaning Dixie didn't have any legal rights to the children. When the Williams' lost their children, it was in conjunction with a December 2022 arrest report.
At the time, Cody and his wife were listed as being homeless when police officers pulled her over in Eustis. During the traffic stop, it was noted that Dixie wasn't wearing a seatbelt while driving. To aggravate things further, the mother of two also argued with a police officer.
A close-up photo of a police car roof and sign | Source: Pexels
They clashed over the parent insisting she didn't require a driving license. At the time, Dixie was traveling with her husband, who was in the passenger seat next to her. He also got involved in the argument and tried pleading his wife's innocence. Things came to a head when the couple was arrested, and now an amber alert has been issued for the couple's missing children.
However, people have been asked to be on the lookout for a silver Nissan SUV. This is because they believe it might have been the vehicle the children were taken in. Additionally, they have been advised not to approach the car and its occupants but to contact law enforcement.