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Mother says two Utah girls rescued after Amber Alert are recovering, ‘doing well’

Posted at 9:56 PM, Dec 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-07 08:11:32-05

NORTH SALT LAKE - Two girls at the heart of an Amber Alert in Utah this week are doing better, mom said. Micha Soble sent Fox 13 two pictures of her and her kids smiling, with another text reading:

“Yes, they are recovering and doing well. We are still treating scrapes, cuts, etc. It took 3 baths to get their hair unmatted. They are happy to be clean and brushing their teeth again. They are also happy to have a warm place to sleep at night. They are in high spirits but will need some help.”

The girl's father, John Coltharp, and his friend, Samuel Shaffer, are accused of kidnapping the kids and bringing them to an area outside Cedar City. The two are believed to be a part of a religious sect called Knights of the Crystal Blade.

Coltharp and Soble were in a custody battle for a few months. Soble's family said when she was granted custody, she had police do a welfare check, only to find no one living at the address listed. That's when the Amber Alert was issued.

Deputies found two of the kids in a mobile home, and two others in empty water barrels with temperatures dipping near freezing. Thankfully, a tip led investigators to the kids.

"They've been through everything this past few months," Greg Ray, the kids' uncle, said. "Anything to ease their road to recovery would be incredible."

A GoFundMe has been created, and Spring City Fire says they are teaming up with Orem Fire Department to start fundraising efforts too. They say Soble and her kids have nothing, have been moving from hotel room to hotel room and say her car is scheduled to be repossessed in the next 24 hours.

"Now, she's got four kids on her own," Ray points out. "This time of year, we just want to make sure they've got everything they need."