Missing South Carolina 5-Year-Old Found; Dad Arrested In Mom's Murder

A 5-year-old South Carolina girl who had been missing since Thanksgiving Day has been found by police in Virginia.

The child, identified as Aspen Jeter, was found in Virginia at around 12:40 p.m. Friday with her father, Antar Jeter, 47, according to South Carolina's Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office (OCSO).

Antar was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and Virginia authorities on warrants obtained by the OCSO's investigators for murder and grand larceny.

Antar is being charged with the murder of Aspen's mother, Crystal Jumper.

Aspen was reported missing after police were called to do a welfare check at a home in Louise Drive, Orangeburg, on Thanksgiving Day and found the deceased body of the child's mother.

Jumper was believed to have been dead since Nov. 1 after being shot, WLTX reported, citing arrest warrants provided by the OCSO.

Investigators found enough evidence to charge Antar with murder for allegedly killing Jumper with malice and forethought. Evidence at the accused's West Columbia home also linked him to the shooting, according to the warrant.

The warrant for grand larceny at a value between $2,000 and $10,000 suggested that, immediately after the shooting, Antar took the victim's 2015 Mazda 6 and left the area, according to the outlet.

Police were able to pinpoint the location of Antar through ATM transactions.

Assisted by U.S. Marshals, they were able to track down Antar and Aspen to a hospital parking lot in Danville, Virginia, NBC News reported. It's not clear why they were there, authorities said.

Danville police said they are holding the father for allegedly being a fugitive from justice. Extradition to South Carolina was expected.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell did not say if detectives have unearthed a motive in the alleged murder. He said investigators aren't exactly sure when she was killed.

It is unclear where the 5-year-old girl will be placed following the arrest of her father.

However, Justin Bamberg, the attorney representing the family of Jumper, stated they will make sure that Aspen will be with relatives.

"Aspen will not become a ward of the state. We are going to make sure she's with family," the lawyer said, according to UPI.

Ravenell has assigned a patrol team to look after Aspen until she can be reunited with family members.

As for the suspect, it remains unclear if he will face additional charges aside from the preliminary ones he is facing.