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Father Arrested After 3 Children Kidnapped in North Miami Found Safe

A father has been arrested after his three young children who were kidnapped Friday morning following an armed robbery in North Miami were found safe, police said.

Jean Bernard Etienne, 32, has been arrested and charged with false report of a crime to law enforcement authority and child neglect, police said.

Another man who was being sought for a possible connection to the abduction, Terrance Hill, turned himself in and was being questioned by detectives, officials said. Hill has been charged with false imprisonment

According to North Miami Police, Etienne was driven to a Wells Fargo Bank located at 12700 Biscayne Boulevard by two males he met one day prior. Once at the bank, Etienne left his three children in the company of Hill. Etienne entered the bank with the another male to take out $3,500 in cash from two fraudulent checks they deposited into Etienne’s bank account the day before.

During the bank’s verification process, the male that was in the bank with Etienne, fled the bank and left in the car with Hill and the children.

The children were a 5-month-old, a 2-year-old, and a 3-year-old, authorities said.

According to police, the mother of the children received a phone call from Hill to pick up the kids at a location. The mother picked up the kids and went to the North Miami Police Department.

Hill turned himself into the North Miami Police Department detectives without dispute.

The investigation is ongoing and details are still being gathered, police said.

Check back with NBC 6 for updates on this developing story.

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