A Utah woman who believed in apocalyptic “end times” has been arrested in Croatia for taking her four young children overseas in violation of a custody order, authorities said Tuesday. Elleshia Seymour, 35, was arrested Jan. 16 after fleeing the U.S. in late November with her children despite not having custody entitlement. Salt Lake County charged her in December with four counts of custodial interference.
The case highlights the complications of international custody enforcement and child welfare protection. The children are being held in foster custody in Croatia while their father works to bring them home, and Salt Lake County authorities are exploring extradition options.
The children, ages 11, 8, 7, and 3, were last seen in the United States in late November. One of the older children tipped off the host family they were staying with in Croatia, prompting action that led to Seymour’s arrest on Jan. 16. “One of my kids told him, ‘Hey, search my name, Google my name, you’ll find it,’” said Kendall Seymour, the father of three of the children and the ex-husband working to bring them home.
Online Posts About Apocalyptic Beliefs
Seymour posted videos on TikTok throughout 2025 describing apocalyptic dreams and urging people to prepare for catastrophic events. In one video, she described an electromagnetic pulse attack that would disable aircraft and infrastructure, causing food, water, and heating to become unavailable. She said: “The Lord is trying to tell people that it’s going to be a cold winter.” The “end times” refers to Christian interpretations of biblical prophecy describing cataclysmic events preceding Jesus’s return to Earth.
Pre-Departure Planning and One-Way Flight
The family departed the U.S. on Nov. 29, boarding a one-way flight to Europe from Salt Lake City International Airport. Court documents show that in the days before departure, police found Seymour’s apartment in West Jordan unlocked and empty. Officers discovered a notebook listing plans to shred documents, discard phones, and take passports.
A former boyfriend told police that Seymour had “recently discussed obtaining passports and leaving the country, expressing concerns about biblical events and the ‘end of times.’” The FBI received tips that Seymour and the children had traveled to Croatia after they disappeared from their Salt Lake City suburb. Police reviewed airport video showing the family entering the terminal on Nov. 29 and boarding the international flight.
Children in Foster Care; Extradition Being Pursued
The children are now being held in foster custody in Croatia. Kendall Seymour is currently in the country visiting them and completing paperwork to bring them home. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sam Gill said his office is exploring extradition options with federal partners to bring Seymour back to the United States.
Seymour is being held in Croatian custody on suspicion of violating children’s rights. She is unavailable for comment while in custody, and no attorney was listed in Utah court records who could speak on her behalf.
Seymour divorced Kendall Seymour in 2021 and the father of her youngest child in 2024, according to court documents. Kendall Seymour has power of attorney for the child who is not his biological child.