Lawrence resident Samantha Elmer, left, is being sought by international authorities after allegedly fleeing to Europe with her young daughters, 11-year-old Taylor and 9-year-old Morgan, right.

A Douglas County District judge signed a warrant Friday for the arrest of a 33-year-old Lawrence woman accused of illegally taking her young daughters to Europe without the consent of their father.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said Friday that Samantha Colleen Elmer is wanted on suspicion of two counts of aggravated interference with parental custody after allegedly fleeing the country with daughters Taylor and Morgan Bush.

Branson said in a news release Friday that his office is “seeking international assistance in safely locating and returning Ms. Elmer and her daughters.”

Taylor and Morgan’s father, Justin Bush, of Smithville, Mo., asked Lawrence police to check on the girls after he had not heard from them or Elmer in some time. The children had missed about six days of school, the news release said, and Elmer had told the school the girls were sick. But Bush knew the children had not been to the doctor, as he carried the girls’ health insurance.

Police could not find Elmer or the girls in Lawrence, and their investigation later revealed Elmer had rented a car in the area and had driven to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. There, Elmer and her daughters boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Vienna, Austria, via Istanbul, Turkey, the news release said.

Elmer is currently facing charges of identity theft, felony theft and criminal use of a financial card in Johnson County, according to court records. She was also expected to have a custody hearing with Bush prior to her flight to Europe.

A Johnson County judge has since granted sole custody of the children to Bush, according to Bush and Johnson County court records. Bush and Elmer shared joint custody prior to the European flight.

The girls had attended Eudora schools since August, Bush said.

Anyone with information about Elmer or the girls should call 911 or the Lawrence Police Department at (785) 832-7509.