A young girl, 4-year-old Seraphina Gingles, has been found safe after being allegedly abducted by her father, Nathan Gingles, during a homicide investigation at their Florida home.
The discovery came hours after authorities issued an AMBER alert for both Seraphina and her mother, Mary Catherine Gingles.
The troubling chain of events began on Sunday, February 16, when police responded to a shooting at a residence in Tamarac, Florida.
Upon arriving, authorities found an adult man who had sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s identity remains undisclosed.
During their investigation, police learned that Seraphina had been taken from the home. In response, they quickly issued an AMBER alert for the missing child, fearing for her safety.
Around 11 a.m., law enforcement located Seraphina and her 43-year-old father, Nathan, after spotting the silver BMW X3 mentioned in the alert.
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The pair was found at a Walmart in North Lauderdale, where deputies apprehended Nathan. A heartwarming photo shared by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office showed Seraphina smiling from the back of a police car, safely recovered.
Nathan, who has an active domestic violence restraining order against him, was arrested and is currently under investigation.
Authorities also suspect that Seraphina’s mother, 34-year-old Mary Catherine Gingles, may have been taken by Nathan as well.
Mary Catherine, who was last seen in an orange flower shirt and tan shorts, remains missing, and authorities are actively searching for her.
Seraphina’s abduction and the suspicious death of the man at the family’s home are still under investigation. As the case continues to unfold, the community waits for updates on Mary Catherine’s whereabouts.
Court records reveal that Mary Catherine had obtained a restraining order against her estranged husband in February 2024, amid their ongoing divorce proceedings.
The order was dismissed, but Mary Catherine later sought another restraining order in December, which was extended in January 2025.
