Aya Stukalkina Missing Person Case

Jan 28, 2026

Jan 28, 2026

Aya

Stukalkina

3

2

Female

Aya Stukalkina, a two-month-old infant, was last seen in Fairfax County, Virginia, on June 23, 2025. At the time of her disappearance, she had brown hair, blue eyes, and was described as being approximately one foot tall and weighing around 10 pounds. Concerns for Aya's welfare grew as it was suspected she may have been taken to Kazakhstan by her mother, Elena Stukalkina, who also goes by the name Elena Pendergrass. Authorities believed there was a possibility that they could have returned to the United States after traveling abroad. The circumstances leading to Aya's disappearance involved a custody dispute. Aya's mother, Elena Pendergrass, a Russian citizen residing in Alexandria, had given birth to Aya on May 21. Despite a DNA test confirming the child's paternity before her birth, Pendergrass listed the father as "unknown" on the birth certificate and instructed him to cease all communication. The father, wanting to be involved in his daughter's life, petitioned a domestic relations court for paternity, visitation, and custody on June 5. In response, Pendergrass reportedly threatened to take the baby to Russia, as they were dual citizens. On June 26, 2025, she filed for an emergency passport for Aya, again listing the father as "unknown." Shortly after obtaining the passport, on June 28, Elena flew with her infant daughter from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, and then on to Kazakhstan, all without the father's knowledge or consent. In her absence, the father was awarded sole physical and legal custody of Aya. Pendergrass later returned to New York on July 13 to obtain a Russian visa for her daughter. She then sent the visa and Aya's passport to an intermediary in Kazakhstan, which enabled Aya's grandmother to take her into Russia. Following these events, a federal jury convicted Elena Pendergrass of international parental kidnapping. The case is a heart-wrenching example of international parental kidnapping, where a young child was taken from her home and country amidst a parental dispute. The actions taken by her mother led to a federal conviction and an ongoing effort by authorities to secure the child's safe return to the United States.

Jun 23, 2025

FAIRFAX COUNTY

Virginia

07/05/2026