Mom of abducted child found dead in Tennessee
RAHWAY, N.J. – “A Daughter, Sister, Mother, Aunt and Cousin,” is how Karen Uyar described her daughter Yasemin, in announcing the 24-year-old was found dead by authorities in Tennessee.
The news was confirmed jointly on Sunday by acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Rahway Police Director Jonathan Parham.
After a weekendlong search in numerous states, Karen Uyar said her family was notified at 8:15 p.m. Saturday that Yasemin Uyar’s remains had been located.
Earlier in the day, authorities had found Yasemin’s 2-year-old son Sebastian Rios safe in Monterey, Tennessee, and had arrested his father, Tyler Rios, 27, of Highland Park, New Jersey, without incident. Authorities said investigators found Yasemin’s body in a wooded nearby, off of Interstate 40.
Rios is charged with first-degree kidnapping in connection with the alleged abduction of Sebastian, and additional criminal charges are pending in connection with the death of Yasemin, authorities said.
The two had been reported missing and allegedly abducted on Friday by Rios. The child was the subject of a widespread Amber Alert first sent out Friday afternoon.
Back in October 2019, Karen Uyar had written a post on social media about her daughter’s relationship with Rios; detailing numerous instances of domestic violence, measures they had tried to keep her safe and authorities’ past attempts to offer assistance.
“While my family grieves the loss of Yasemin, please remember she wasn’t just a DV (domestic violence) victim,” Karen Uyar said Saturday. “Her life will be celebrated as her greatest gift to this world, Sebastian will still need all of our love and support.”
Karen Uyar asked for privacy to grieve as a family on Sunday, but that they will continue to share information and funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.
An investigation by multiple agencies led to Rios being identified as a suspect in the case after Sebastian did not show up for day care Friday and Yasemin Uyar did not arrive for scheduled work shifts, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Grady, who is prosecuting the case. A welfare check was conducted at Uyar’s home by members of the Rahway Police Department on Friday morning, but no one was found inside, they said.
Shortly thereafter, the State Police issued an Amber Alert that was sent to privately owned cell phones, broadcast on electronic billboards along highways in New Jersey and beyond, and widely shared via social media.
Rios remains in custody in Tennessee pending extradition to New Jersey after which a first appearance and detention hearing will be scheduled to take place in Union County Superior Court.