5 missing children found safe, Niagara police say

Niagara Regional Police say that the five children missing from Jordan, Ont., have been found and are safe. 

Their father was at police headquarters Wednesday and has not been charged with anything.

The children were the subject of an Amber Alert issued late Tuesday afternoon and, as a result, police were told the father had been seen driving a red Toyota Camry in the region. 

Police said that around 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, detectives from the child abuse unit were able to track the car down and began surveillance at a residence in Ridgeway, Ont., near Fort Erie. where the vehicle was parked. 

Officers say they located and stopped the father and a 22-year-old woman around the Crystal Beach area. Police then found the missing children in a nearby rental cottage.

Police say the children appear to be in good health and are being cared for, but will receive medical assessments. 

The investigation remains ongoing. 

In a video posted to Twitter, police thanked members of the public in Niagara and across the province for being vigilant.

"The information that led us to that Camry is directly related to the Amber Alert," said Const. Phil Gavin. "It's important to note that the system did work and it's brought a peaceful resolution to the situation"

Investigators alleged that the children were taken from their home in Jordan, a community in the Niagara region, sometime between Sept. 19 and 25. 

The children were under a temporary custody order "through the courts," according to police.

The Amber Alert was cancelled after it reached its five-hour expiry period. 

CBC reporter Ellen Mauro spoke with the father at Niagara police headquarters, who said that the whole situation was "blown out of proportion" and that the children were on vacation with family.