Parents of missing Indianapolis children in custody after Texas standoff; 3 kids safe

INDIANAPOLIS — Police in Texas have apprehended the parents of three Indianapolis children at the center of a Silver Alert after a standoff.

Officers in Pearsall, Texas took Willie and Jessika Terrell into custody Tuesday night after a barricade situation at a motel. The couple was being sought by police after reportedly taking their three children, of whom they do not have custody. 

The Frio County sheriff told 13News the couple’s children — 4-year-old Frankie, 3-year-old Queen and 1-year-old King — are safe and are being cared for. 

Willie and Jessika Terrell are being booked into the Frio County Jail.

This story will be updated as more details are confirmed.

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A statewide Silver Alert has been declared for three young children missing from Indianapolis and police think the noncustodial parents are taking them to Mexico.

IMPD issued the alert Friday, July 5 for Frankie, Queen and King Terrell. The children were last seen around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4 with their biological parents, Willie and Jessika Terrell.

Police said the parents met the grandfather, who has custody of the children, at a restaurant for a meeting approved by the Department of Child Services. The grandfather said he went to the bathroom and when he came back, the children and parents were gone.

According to court documents, police checked the parents’ phones and got a ping from one of them in Columbus, Texas.

Court documents claim Willie called his therapist and said the children were OK. He mentioned he was 288 miles from Mexico, and he wanted the FBI to investigate why his children kept being taken from him. 

Police pinged the phone again on July 9, and it came back to Pearsall, Texas — which is about 100 miles from Mexico.

Frankie, 4, is a 3-foot tall, 46-pound female with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and blue pants.

Queen, 3, is a 2-foot-6-inch tall, 30-pound female with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt, gray pants and light-up tennis shoes.

King, a 1-year-old boy, is 1 foot, 8 inches tall, weighs 15 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a Mickey Mouse outfit and red shoes.

Willie Terrell is a 50-year-old male, described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds. He is bald and has brown eyes.

Jessika Terrell, 31, is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. IMPD detectives believe she may also use the name “Jessika Officer.”

Police said the children are believed to be in extreme danger and may need medical assistance.

“We feel they’re in danger because they’re on medication,” said IMPD Ofc. Tommy Thompson. “All of them have a medication they need to take daily and, unfortunately, during the abduction, the medication was not taken with them so these children need that medication.”

Thompson also had a plea for Willie and Jessika Terrell.

“If you’re the parents, contact us, communicate with us and let’s get this righted before it goes south in the wrong direction,” he said.

Anyone with information about their location is asked to contact IMPD at 317-327-6541 or call 911.

There are specific standards a person’s disappearance must meet in order for police to declare an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert.                            

Amber Alerts are for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted and in danger. Police also need to have information about a suspect and their car to issue an Amber Alert.

Silver Alerts are for missing and endangered adults or children. They are much more common for missing people. It was not until last year when the standards for Silver Alerts were expanded to include children.      

In both situations, these alerts must be issued by police.