Neighbors thought Fredericksburg home where mom, 2 kids allegedly held captive was abandoned

Neighbors said they were shocked to learn a man was accused of holding his girlfriend and their two children captive for two years in a Fredericksburg, Virginia home because they thought the house was abandoned.

A neighbor told FOX 5 she saw a Spotsylvania County sheriff’s cruiser at the property just weeks prior to the arrest of 43-year-old Kariem Ali Muhammad Moore.

“Never saw anybody come out of that door. The only thing I have seen is a deputy sheriff’s car over there in the front yard, a white car with sheriff written on it. You don't pay any attention to that type of stuff anymore,” neighbor Lorane James told FOX 5. “It was approximately three weeks ago. It could have been a little bit longer.”

Just inside the home was a mother and her two children, ages 8 and 11, being held against their will for two years, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said it didn’t have any record of a deputy being at the property in the 3600 block of Mine Road, but if there was a deputy there, they believe the deputy may have been backing out the driveway to make a U-turn or was completing paperwork after a nearby traffic stop.

Deputies were called to the home on Saturday for a welfare check after receiving a call from a concerned family member who had not seen their 32-year-old female relative and her two kids for a long period of time.

When deputies arrived at the home and began speaking to Moore, officials said the woman and her children dashed out a side door and to the deputies.

The mother was taken to the hospital for untreated medical issues and her children were now with relatives, officials stated.

Moore was taken into custody and charged with three felony counts of abduction along with felony assault and battery. He made his first court appearance on Monday and was being held without bond. His next court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 1 and the sheriff’s office said he could face additional charges.

Moore was reportedly renting the residence, which public records indicate belong to an area doctor who told FOX 5 she did not want to comment at this time.

Detectives said their investigation was ongoing.