American Girl Kidnapped By Her Mother 19 Years Ago Found In AUSTRALIA

Savana Harris Todd disappeared from her home in South Carolina in 1994 and has not been seen by her US family since.

An American girl kidnapped by her mother when she was 11-months-old has been found  living in Australia almost two decades later.

Her mother Dorothy Lee Barnett had lost a custody battle over the child with her father Benjamin Harris Todd.

The FBI issued a warrant for Barnett’s arrest and have been searching for the pair ever since.

Nearly 20 years later, the authorities arrested Barnett in Australia following a tip-off from a suspicious friend.

According to reports, Barnett fled the US to South Africa using a fake passport, where she married a man called Juan Geldenhuys and later gave birth to a son who is now 17.

She changed her name to Alexandria Maria Geldenhuys and twice attempted to get a US passport, it is alleged.

Barnett and her new husband then moved to New Zealand, where they became citizens, and later Australia.

Mr Geldenhuys recently died of bone cancer.

Now 53, she was arrested by Australian police and has appeared in court.

Her daughter Savanna, now 20, was apparently present and held up a sign which read ‘We love you Mom’.

US authorities are now attempting to have Barnett extradited and brought back to South Carolina to face charges of international parental kidnapping and making a false statement on a passport application.