An apocalyptic warning, a one-way flight, and four missing kids led to a Croatia arrest

A Utah mother accused of taking her four young children overseas in violation of a custody order has been arrested in Croatia following a weeks-long international search. As highlighted by AP News, 35-year-old Elleshia Seymour was taken into custody earlier this month after authorities tracked her movements across Europe.

Seymour was charged in December in Salt Lake County with four counts of custodial interference after allegedly removing the children from Utah despite having no legal custody. Croatian officials have since confirmed she is being held there on suspicion of violating children’s rights while U.S. authorities assess next steps.

The case drew national attention after Seymour’s ex-husband reported the children missing and law enforcement uncovered evidence suggesting the departure had been carefully planned. Investigators later confirmed the children were taken out of the country on a one-way flight, triggering federal involvement.

Investigators say apocalyptic beliefs fueled the disappearance

According to charging documents, Seymour’s actions were tied to apocalyptic beliefs she had shared publicly in the months leading up to her disappearance, similar to how recent coverage noted concerns about a TikTok surge in uninstalls. She reportedly posted videos describing dreams about global collapse, including an electromagnetic pulse attack that would disable technology and infrastructure, while urging others to prepare for what she described as an imminent “end of times.”

Police were first alerted on December 2 when friends and co-workers said they could not reach Seymour. Officers found her West Jordan apartment unlocked and empty, along with a notebook detailing plans to destroy documents, discard phones, and secure passports, which investigators viewed as evidence of premeditation. Coverage of how unrelated law enforcement figures have publicly clashed with lawmakers over critical incidents further underscores the climate of heightened concern around public safety and authority.

Authorities later located Seymour’s car at Salt Lake City International Airport. Surveillance footage showed Seymour and the children, ages 11, 8, 7, and 3, boarding a one-way flight to Europe on November 29, and a former boyfriend told police she had discussed leaving the country due to fears about biblical events.

The search eventually led to Croatia after the FBI received tips that Seymour and the children were staying with an American family there. The breakthrough came when one of the children alerted the host family to search their name online, prompting the family to contact authorities or persuade Seymour to turn herself in on January 16.

The children are now in foster care in Croatia, while Kendall Seymour, the father of the three oldest children and power of attorney holder for the youngest, has traveled there to work on bringing them back to the United States. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sam Gill confirmed his office is coordinating with federal partners to pursue extradition, and Seymour remains in Croatian custody with no attorney listed in Utah court records.