GREENSBORO, N.C. — N'denezsia Lancaster's father is speaking out for the first time since she was charged with First Degree Kidnapping. Lancaster is accused of abducting 3-year-old Ahlora Lindiment from a playground off Phillips Avenue on Wednesday. Greensboro Police said she walked off with Ahlora.
After an Amber Alert and mass search, Ahlora was found safe late Thursday night. N'denezsia was located and arrested by police on Saturday. N'denezsia's father, Terrence Lancaster, says there's more to the story here.
"I probably took the first five minutes studying the picture saying that looks like my daughter but it can't be my daughter," he said.
Terrence said his 22-year-old daughter's mental health has deteriorated over the years, but didn't cite specifics. He said, "she's not a monster."
Terrence said when he first saw his daughter in jail, she didn't say much.
"When I first talked to her she couldn’t look at me," Terrence said. "What she ended up saying to me was, that she was sorry and I think that was the takeaway everything else was 'yes dad,' OK dad."
Terrence said he couldn't believe his daughter could kidnap a child, especially because Lancaster has a sibling that's Ahlora's age.
"I was shocked, worries, a plethora of emotions,"
Terrence also said he would like to publicly apologize to Ahlora's family for the pain his daughter may have caused.
"I wanted to first say apologies to that family and that little girl because at the end of the day it's still a horrible situation," said Terrence. He added "I can only imagine, I’ve never experienced having my child missing and not knowing where they are up until these series of events but it had to be terrifying."
WFMY News 2's Jess Winters asked Terrence: 'Do you think she's aware she kidnapped a child?"
"That’s a good question, that’s the question I have," Terrence explained. "I’m not really sure. I do know that obviously there's some mental illness that caused all this, that set it into action."
He also said he doesn't know of any possible motive.
N'denezsia Lancaster will made her first appearance on Monday.
Lancaster's lawyer, Daniel Harris say she has a history of being bipolar, and said she 'never intended to harm or traumatize Ahlora.'
"She has a history of Bipolarism, and speaking with her over the weekend I have concerns over her current mental state in terms of whether or not there are additional mental health diagnoses that need to be made," Attorney Harris said.
The court ordered a psych evaluation, scheduled for Tuesday.
Harris said the kidnapping she's accused of was 'a cry for help,'
Ahlora's stepmom, Shaye Wallace, says she was mad that the lawyer reduced her daughter's kidnapping to a 'cry for help.' But Wallace says she's happy with the 1 million dollar bond outcome.
Wallace says she wants the punishment to fit the crime, but agrees Lancaster needs help and should undergo a mental health evaluation.
Lancaster's next court date is November 14.
Prosecutors say that Lancaster is facing an additional assault charge out of Raleigh that's unrelated to this kidnapping case. Prosecutors say she slit a man's wrist with a box cutter earlier this month.
Lancaster's attorney, Daniel Harris, says that was self defense and she's not a violent person.