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3-Year-Old Detroit Girl Home Safe After Amber Alert

DETROIT (WWJ) - A messy custody battle apparently led to an overnight Amber Alert for a missing Detroit toddler.

Police said 3-year-old Alonna Anderson was taken from her mother's home by her father, Stacey Anderson. His family returned the little girl to authorities Monday morning.

Police said Alonna was unharmed and is doing just fine.

The Amber Alert was issued after police said Stacey Anderson was assaulting the girl's mother as a second man took Alonna.

Alonna's grandmother, Tracey Anderson, said the child's mother refused to turn her back over to the father, which lead to Sunday's drama.

"We have a big family -- Alonna is loved,"  Tracey Anderson told WWJ Newsradio 950 Ron Dewey.  "We would never hurt her ... My son is her dad and my son would not hurt her. My son loved that little girl."

An aunt of the father, who asked not to be named, said she -- not the mother --  has been taking care of Alonna since her birth.

"So, it's just a sad story for a baby. There's just so much going on in Detroit ... and she's one of the ones now," she said, adding that she believed the Amber Alert was unnecessary.

"All [the mother]  had to do is call and say that my nephew had the baby, and she wanted her back. The only reason she had the baby was because of her birthday," the aunt said. "She's not a mom."

The whereabouts of Stacey Anderson as well as the mother, who has not been named by police, were unknown Monday afternoon.

The mother's relatives who accepted custody of the child, declined to comment.

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