Police Issue Arrest Warrant for Father

are working to track down the biological father of two girls living in foster care. Authorities say DeShae Marie Smith, 3, and Breanna Smith, who is 20 months old, were taken Tuesday during an unsupervised visitation by their father, Ahmad Makahleh, 57, of Woodstock.

According to the incident report, Makahleh, by court order, visited the children from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., but failed to return the children to a children's advocacy center by the appointed time. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Makahleh on the charge of interfering with child custody.

The foster parents, who've had custody of the children since January of last year, say DeShae is about 33 inches tall and weighs 25.8 pounds. Breanna is 30 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds. DeShae was last wearing a light pink Zoo Atlanta T-shirt with a tiger on it, dark brown Capri pants with pink polka dots on the bottom, hot pink socks and white sneakers. Breanna was last wearing a coral shirt, peach and pink Capri pants, white socks and white sneakers.

"The father had decided to consent to his parental rights being terminated and was willing to sign them over at the upcoming court date of May 16, 2011," the foster father said in an email to Cartersville Patch. "These girls are very special to us and we are looking forward to adopting them.

"At this time, we are fearful that the children are probably out of the state (maybe Michigan or elsewhere) if not the country (the biological father is from Jordan)."

Capt. Michael Stewart said investigators are interviewing neighbors and checking the Woodstock business Makahleh owns, but have been unable to locate him. Police issued a "be on the lookout" for the white 2007 Nissan Altima he was driving and placed the children on the national missing and endangered persons database.

See photos the children attached to this article. If you have any information, call 911 or Cartersville police at 770-382-2526.