John Varion Allison and Ruby Marie Allison: Roanoke, Virginia parents arrested after seeking to thwart order to remove their 3 children who were considered in grave danger.
Three young Virginia children who were the focus of an Amber Alert, Wednesday have been found safe, with both parents now in custody. The parents’ arrest follows a social services office seeking to carry out a court-ordered child removal earlier this week, only to be thwarted by the children’s father.
The three children, who authorities believed to be in ‘extreme danger’ were found near Florence, South Carolina, a little after 4 p.m., Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. They were traveling with Ruby Marie Allison, 35, who is married to their father, John Varion Allison, and who is the mother of Emma Allison, 6, and Colin Allison, 18 months old. A third child, Cameron Allison, 6, was among the three siblings retrieved.
Ruby Allison, according to Police Chief Hall was pulled over, driving a maroon Chevrolet on I-95, near Florence, South Carolina. Ruby was arrested without incident.
Ruby and the three kids had driven to Florida, only for the mother to travel back to Roanoke.
According to Police Chief Hall, John Allison‘s parents, the biological grandparents of the three children, were also in the car, but were not facing any charges. The grandparents reside in the Jacksonville area of Florida.
All three children are currently with South Carolina social services, but will be brought back to Roanoke, Virginia.
Ruby will also be extradited in the coming days.
The woman’s arrest came hours after her husband surrendered earlier in the day, nbcnews reports.
John Allison upon his arrest was charged with three counts of felony abduction. He did not assist in locating the children, according to county spokeswoman Amy Whittaker. The father is being held in the Roanoke County-Salem Jail.
3 children at center of AMBER Alert in Virginia https://t.co/5YzkRMP8ZY
— WXII 12 News (@WXII) April 22, 2020
Neighbors remain mystified as to why social services order to remove children from home was issued:
Neighbors, described the Allison children as ‘very friendly and seemingly happy’.
‘I hurt for them, I hurt for their family, as a mom I worry, you know I hope that they’re safe and that someone is taking good care of them and will return them soon,’ Nicole Wood told via Wdbj7.com.
Violet Robertson told of living across the street from the family for a year, while noting the children played outside often.
The neighbor like many, wondered what brought social services and police to their doorstep in the first place.
‘I just was shocked and amazing that I heard that something was wrong,’ said Robertson.
Prior to the children ‘disappearing,’ the county social services office had tried to carry out a court-ordered child removal for them, only for their father to refuse giving up their location or allow Child Protective Services access to the children, police said.
