Man accused of kidnapping 3 juveniles from foster home, North Carolina cops say

The discovery of a missing 13-year-old in a man’s car led deputies to learn the driver had kidnapped three juveniles from a foster care facility, according to the investigators in North Carolina.

All three were taken from the state-run Cornerstone Treatment Facility in Wadesboro, and were ages 13, 16 and 17, according to court documents.

Details of a motive have not been released and investigators did not report the three were harmed.

The investigation began when the Union County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that the missing 13-year-old was in the company of 26-year-old Zaire Witherspoon of Monroe, the sheriff’s office said in a Jan. 27 news release.

“Deputies were able to conduct surveillance on the suspect’s residence and witnessed Witherspoon leaving his home. SHIELD Deputies were able to follow the vehicle until it stopped at a convenience store in Monroe,” the sheriff’s office said, noting SHIELD stands for Sheriff’s High-Risk Enforcement Location and Detection Unit.

“The missing juvenile was in the vehicle. The child was secured, and the suspect was arrested. During an interview, Witherspoon admitted to taking the 13-year-old and two other juveniles from a foster home in Wadesboro.”

One of the missing girls was found in Scotland County, and the third girl found in Robeson County, officials said.

Witherspoon has been charged with three felony counts of kidnapping and three misdemeanor counts of contributing the delinquency of a minor, court documents show.

“I’m thankful for the hard work and quick coordination between our deputies, the Wadesboro Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation,” Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey said in the news release. “We will not tolerate anyone who preys on children.”

Monroe is about a 30-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Man accused of kidnapping 3 juveniles from foster home, North Carolina cops say."