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Grand Rapids boy reunited with family after AMBER Alert

Posted at 9:42 AM, Aug 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-02 22:55:46-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Grand Rapids family is thankful and relieved to hav etheir 1-year-old boy home after an AMBER Alert was issued for him Thursday.

Miquis Jenkins' family is all smiles Thursday night as they have their little boy back after a terrifying day of uncertainty.   He was allegedly taken by his babysitter, 19-year-old Iyesha Gibbs, at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.  The AMBER Alert was issued Thursday.

Miquis' family says they will sleep well knowing he's back where he belongs.

"It was a big relief, it made me very happy," said his cousin Alqueisha Grady. "It took a lot off of my shoulders just to know that he would be coming home finally and that he was safe."

Gibbs was supposed to be watching Miquis when she allegedly took him. They were later located in Benton Harbor on Thursday afternoon, where Gibbs was taken into custody.

"I'm still emotional but happy at the same time. I just want to see his face to make sure myself he's ok. God is good and I just want to thank everyone for the sharing and the calls and all of that. But I'm on my way to Benton Harbor right now to see that my baby is safe," said Teresa Underwood, Miquis' grandmother.

A happy ending for Miquis leaves unanswered questions of why he was taken and if it was planned.

"I think this was a deliberate plan, like she deliberately set everything up. That's how I feel personally, that's just my personal opinion," Kelly Johnson, the boyfriend of Miquis' mother tells FOX 17.

Johnson says Miquis' mother and Gibbs knew each other from high school. He says Gibbs had watched Miquis at least once before and was very eager to babysit him again.

"She was persistent. She constantly, 'Can I get 'Quis? Can I get 'Quis? And then finally like, with last night `Quaya was like, 'alright if you wanna watch him for tonight, I trust you, you know,'" Johnson says.

Johnson says Gibbs even offered Miquis' mother $50 and an iPhone if she would let her watch her son.

"She offered but we never, you know. Like she offered 'Quaya an iPhone to like, 'I will watch your son and I'll toss you this iPhone,' but we never like, received the iPhone from it or no money, or anything like that," Johnson says.

Miquis' family tells FOX 17 they are very grateful for Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor police and the AMBER Alert system.