Police Discover a Girl, 4, Was Allegedly Abducted by Her Dad After Going to Their Florida Home to Investigate a Homicide

Seraphina Gingles was found in a vehicle with her father hours after an AMBER alert was issued for both her and her mother

A young girl has been found safe after authorities in Florida learned that she was missing while investigating a homicide at her home.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, police responded to reports of a shooting at a Tamarac residence, where they found an adult man who had suffered a gunshot wound, CBS News reported. The man was pronounced dead on the scene, and his identity is currently unknown, per the outlet.

Not long after, authorities learned that Seraphina Gingles, 4, was taken from the home, local outlet WPTV reported. Police issued an AMBER alert, and the child was found hours later, along with her alleged abductor: her dad, Nathan Gingles.

Shortly before 11 a.m., both Seraphina and Nathan. 43, were located after deputies found the vehicle mentioned in the alert, a 2016 silver BMW X3 with a Texas license plate, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced in an update on X.

The father and daughter were found at a Walmart location in North Lauderdale, according to The Miami Herald. Nathan was taken into custody, per the Florida newspaper, which also shared a photo of Seraphina smiling in a police car in the store parking lot.

Nathan — who is currently under a domestic violence restraining order, per the Herald — may have also taken Seraphina’s mother, 34-year-old Mary Catherine Gingles, according to the outlet, CBS News and WPTV.

The mom and daughter were “believed to be endangered,” the BSO said while issuing the original AMBER alert.

Authorities have yet to share an update about Mary Catherine’s location. She was last seen in an “orange flower shirt and tan shorts,” per the initial alert.

Seraphina’s abduction, as well as the circumstances surrounding the death of the unknown man discovered at her home, are both being investigated, the sheriff’s office said.

The BSO did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

According to court records obtained by the Herald, Mary Catherine got a domestic violence restraining order against her estranged husband in February 2024, shortly before their divorce proceedings began.

This initial restraining order against Nathan was dismissed months later, but Mary Catherine got another one in December, which was then extended last month, the newspaper reported.