Aniah Blanchard missing: Man charged in disappearance of UFC fighter’s stepdaughter
By Amanda Woods
November 8, 2019 | 7:43am
Ibraheem YazeedAP
Aniah Haley BlanchardAP
A man has been arrested in connection to the disappearance of Aniah Blanchard — the 19-year-old stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight Walt Harris — who vanished two weeks ago, according to new reports.
Ibraheem Yazeed, 30, was busted in Florida early Friday on first-degree kidnapping charges in connection to the disappearance of the teen, who was last seen at a gas station convenience store in Auburn, Alabama Oct. 23, jail records show.
US Marshals in Montgomery Alabama called the marshals in Florida Thursday after receiving a tip that Yazeed may be in the area of Pine Forest and Interstate 10 in the Sunshine State, local outlet WEAR-TV reported.
The Auburn Police Department identified Yazeed as a suspect, issuing a warrant and calling him dangerous and possibly armed, according to the report.
Yazeed was captured on surveillance video at the same convenience store where Blanchard was last seen.
Auburn police Chief Paul Register told The Montgomery Advertiser Thursday that evidence points to Yazeed taking Blanchard against her will, though he did not elaborate on that evidence.
When authorities closed in on Yazeed, who was wearing all black, he appeared to be spooked and took off around 11 p.m. Thursday.
“When we arrived, the suspect fled the area, but he was located by Escambia sheriff’s officers and marshals in a wooded area near the exit,” Escambia Sheriff’s Maj. Andrew Hobbs said.
Yazeed was taken to a local hospital complaining of chest pains. His jail booking photo shows him with a swollen left eye, but no further details were released about his apparent injuries.
Blanchard, a student at Southern Union College, was reported missing a day after her disappearance and police later found her 2017 Honda CRV in an apartment complex in Montgomery, some 55 miles away.
Investigators initially said they didn’t believe Blanchard was the victim of foul play, but evidence has since been recovered from her car indicating that she was harmed, police said late last month.
