The hunt is on for an Olalla man believed to have fled the state and gone eto Oregon with his four children and a woman referred to as his girlfriend.

All four children have been declared missing as 37-year-old Joshua Lee Susee was expected to return them to the care of their mother March 2 but failed to do so. Susee has since been charged with one count of Custodial Interference in the first degree. A court order issued March 8 directed law enforcement and Child Protective Services to work to return the children to their mother.

Court records say deputies visited Susee’s registered address on Stevens Road in Olalla, where they found a vehicle registered to him but no sign of him or the children. Further evidence stemmed from a school resource officer reporting the children had missed school from March 3 onward, and Susee’s employer reporting he had not been to work since March 2.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office announced April 4 a warrant for his arrest had been obtained in the amount of $1 million.

Court documents further indicate a history of alleged abuse within the family. The mother stated that she is afraid of Susee.

Accusations of such behavior have come from both directions as the mother petitioned for a protection order against Susee in 2019. Susee also pursued a protection order from the mother in January, but it was denied March 2.