SURREY, B.C. — The family of two British Columbia children who are the subject of an Amber Alert says their disappearance has had a "devastating" affect on their big sisters and brother.
Surrey RCMP say the whereabouts of eight-year-old Aurora and 10-year-old Joshuah Bolton remain unknown, with the last confirmed sighting at a Merritt, B.C., gas station on July 7.
A written statement by their family says the children are loved and missed.
It says Aurora and Joshuah love family picnics, movie nights with popcorn, playing pranks and having water fights in their front yard.
The statement also says the missing pair are "exceptionally close" to their entire extended family, particularly their cousins, who they visit often and with whom they enjoy swimming, having sleepovers and playing outdoors.
Surrey RCMP say Verity Bolton, the kids' mother, failed to return them to their father earlier this month, and authorities suspect the trio is living "off the grid" with Bolton's father Robert and her boyfriend Abraxus Glazov.
They say the last confirmed sighting of Verity Bolton was at a Kamloops, B.C., grocery store on July 15.
Authorities first issued the Amber Alert on July 19 when the children were not returned to their father, who has primary custody.
"Our family would like to share with you the love and joy that Aurora and Joshuah bring to our lives everyday. They are so much more than ‘missing children,' more than a few photos," reads the family's statement, issued Tuesday.
"We have a routine at home, we share, we help, we tease and love each other beyond words."
Police launched a tip line and email account last week to gather information about the case after finding out that Verity Bolton had access to several trailers, capable of being towed by the 2012 Dodge Ram pickup which she was spotted driving.
Police say their investigation is ongoing and they are encouraging the public to reach out using the tip line if they have any information.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2023.
The Canadian Press
