An Amber alert was issued for 11-year-old Arieyana Simone Forney, who was found to be missing on Sunday after her grandparents were discovered dead in their Charlotte home. The grandparents were reportedly Arieyana’s guardians and had been shot. According to authorities, that Amber Alert has now been canceled after Arieyana was found in Washington, DC. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are now investigating the double homicide of Arieyana’s grandparents, Curtis Atkinson, Sr. and his wife, Ruby Atkinson.

Fire detected at the Atkinsons’ home

According to a report by WSB-TV Atlanta, firefighters went to the Atkinsons’ home at around 11:05 a.m.

on Sunday after an alarm detected smoke in the building. Once inside, they found the Atkinsons lying dead, along with a small fire. Police are now seeking to charge Curtis Atkinson Jr. – the son of the deceased couple and uncle of Arieyana – for the double homicide.

Arieyana found in Washington, DC

As reported by CBS News, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in a statement that a female called Washington, DC police at around 8 p.m. Sunday, saying Arieyana was inside a white Chevy Impala car and giving an approximate location of the vehicle. Police did not say whether the caller was Forney herself. Reportedly DC Metro Police immediately searched the area looking for the white Impala. Police located the car and took its occupants into custody.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Major Mike Smathers said they recovered Arieyana safely from the car.

Smathers said Curtis Atkinson Jr. had led the Washington, DC police on a chase, ending with the car crashing. He was arrested and is expected to be charged with the double murder of the Atkinsons. Reportedly a second adult in the car, Nikkia Cooper, 26, was arrested on drug charges, but police are investigating to find out if she had any role in the crimes committed by Atkinson.

Smathers said during the news conference that it was an alarming incident in what is normally a quiet neighborhood. Smathers described the Chevy Impala as being a 2005 model with North Carolina license plates and that the car does not normally belong at the Atkinsons’ home. It was, however, seen leaving the property shortly prior to the arrival of the firefighters.

According to the police, the deaths of the two victims are the 24th and 25th homicides in Charlotte this year.
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