Father hoping daughters missing for 3 years are in Ontario after alleged abduction

The father of two young sisters, who were allegedly abducted by their mother and have been missing for three years, says he continues to pray that he will find them one day after receiving tips they may be in Ontario.

“I often dream about them at night when I am asleep. It feels like a part of me is missing,” Michael Johnson said in a statement shared with Global News Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

The centre said five-year-old Milan Johnson and nine-year-old Asja Johnson were last seen in July 2014 shortly after their parents separated. It said their mother, Dazelle Johnson (nee Gray), didn’t return the girls and their two older brothers to their father, Michael Johnson, in the Bahamas.

Michael applied for a custody order in Ontario and contacted authorities, the centre said. The children were eventually ordered to be returned to the Bahamas. Police tracked Dazelle in London, Ont., through banking records. It said Michael was able to speak with his children through Skype briefly, but they were unable to identify where they were.

After the Skype calls stopped in June 2015, Michael contacted authorities and they found Michael’s sons that were left with a stranger. He had to fly to Canada to bring his boys home. Dazelle, Milan and Asja weren’t found.

“Not a day goes by without me thinking about them, wondering what they are doing and hoping that they find a way to get in touch with me.”

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The centre said officials received tips in 2015 that the family might be in the Greater Toronto Area.

Christy Dzikowicz, director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s child safety and family advocacy division, said the organization continues to help Michael in his search for Milan and Asja.

“When you hear that the girls were abducted by their mother, it might not sound concerning. But this is a crime, and it is incredibly traumatic and damaging to both the children involved and to the family left behind,” she said in the statement.

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“These little girls are out there – maybe you’ve seen them at a park, or at school. Take a careful look at the photos.”

London police have been working on trying to find the sisters and are appealing for information.

“We are worried about these little girls,” Const. Bob Hogan said in the statement.

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“Asja and Milan are still missing and we will continue to offer our assistance and efforts to locate them until they are found.”

Anyone with information is being asked to call the London Police Service at 519-661-5670 or the Canadian Centre for Child Protection at 1-866-543-8477.

With files from Andrew Russell and Adam Miller