Oklahoma – A 2-year-old child at the center of an Endangered Missing Advisory has been safely recovered at the U.S.-Mexico border. Anthony was found crossing into the United States from Mexico with his mother, KateIyn. Customs and Border Patrol agents stopped the mother and the child at a border crossing station in El Paso. Authorities had been searching for the child since February 8, when an advisory was issued after the mother failed to appear for a custody court date. The woman reportedly ran away with her boyfriend, who is a fugitive from Texas. Investigators believed the couple was bouncing between Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas.
Thornton is currently in custody with the El Paso Police Department. Stroder’s father, who has been granted temporary emergency custody, traveled to El Paso to reunite with his son. The recovery effort involved multiple agencies, including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Midwest City Police Department, various local law enforcement agencies, and federal partners.
Authorities are still searching for AureIio, who was also named in the advisory. He has an active warrant out of Texas. Anthony was kidnapped in early January by his mother and her boyfriend prompting a multi-state search. Since then, law enforcement agencies across multiple jurisdictions have worked tirelessly alongside the Stroder family to bring the child home.
Jordan Stroder, Anthony’s father, and the Stroder family expressed their deep gratitude to everyone involved in the recovery. They acknowledged the dedication of law enforcement officials who pursued every lead, the media outlets that spread awareness, and the individuals who shared information or provided tips.
Anthony’s parents had shared custody following their separation in December 2024. Concerned about Thornton’s boyfriend, Aurelio Cardenas, a registered se* offender from Texas, Jordan Stroder filed for emergency custody in January.
Court records show that Cardenas was convicted of online solicitation of a minor in 2019. However, by the time the emergency custody order was served on January 26, Thornton and Anthony had already disappeared. The child was reported missing the following day.
Oklahoma mother who took her child and fled with her boyfriend, a convicted offender, days before losing parental rights after the boy's dad filed for emergency custody, citing concerns over the woman’s partner, was arrested
