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Abducted Georgia girl, 14, found alive, officials say

Fourteen-year-old Ayvani Hope Perez of Ellenwood, Ga., was missing since early Tuesday.
Fourteen-year-old Ayvani Hope Perez of Ellenwood, Ga., was missing since early Tuesday.Clayton County Police Department / EPA

A 14-year-old Georgia girl kidnapped by two gunmen during a home invasion early Tuesday has been found alive, officials said.

Ayvani Hope Perez was in good health, officials said, and was being evaluated on Wednesday afternoon.

A nationwide Amber Alert was issued after Ayvani was taken at about 2 a.m. Tuesday by armed men from her family's home in Ellenwood, a suburb of Atlanta.

Two suspects, Juan Alberto Contreras-Rodriguez, 40, and Wildrego Jackson, 29, are in federal custody, Clayton County police chief Gregory Porter said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. But officials are looking for other potential suspects.

Ayvani was found at a location in Conyers, Ga., "through hardcore law enforcement work," Porter said. He didn't release any other details about where she was found.

Conyers is about 25 miles from Ayvani's Ellenwood home. 

"What's important is she's safe and she's with family," Porter said.

According to Clayton County police officer Phony Nguyen, the two armed men pried open the back door and entered the house. Ayvani's mother hid with her two kids and poodle, but the men found them, and demanded money and jewelry.

When Ayvani's mom said she didn't have much cash on her, the gunmen shot the dog and abducted Ayvani, who was clad in gray and blue Star Wars pajama pants and a superhero shirt. Her 15-year-old brother wasn't harmed, according to police. 

The dog was taken to the vet by the family, but did not survive.

Police said they do not have a motive for the kidnapping. Sketches of two suspects had been released to the public after the break-in at the Perez home; police said those men were not the two that they had in custody, and were among the other possible suspects they were looking for.

Authorities released few details about the men who were being held. Contreras-Rodriguez is a Mexican national arrested on immigration-related charges by federal Homeland Security investigators, according to Clayton County police. Jackson, of Atlanta, was arrested on charges of conspiracy to kidnap.