The day after two children who were the subject of an Amber Alert were found safe in Brown County, police continued searching for the boys’ father.

Police said the father, John R. Rader, 40, took a car from an acquaintance and took the children from their grandparents’ home in Prince’s Lakes about 4:40 p.m. Monday.

The grandparents have custody of the children, Avery, 10, and Zek, 6, Prince’s Lakes Police Officer Jeremy Elliott said.

After the alert was issued, the boys were found safely at a home in Brown County where their father had taken them, and were reunited with their grandparents by 9:15 p.m., Elliott said.

Now, police are looking for John Rader and have asked the prosecutor to consider charges of auto theft and interference with custody, Elliott said. The Johnson County prosecutor will decide what, if any, charges should be filed. He has not been arrested.

Police said John Rader is unpredictable and should not be approached, Elliott said.

On Monday, the grandparents called police after John Rader took the boys, leaving in a vehicle he had taken from an acquaintance. Elliott did not know what led to the grandparents having custody of the boys. Both the mother and father have a criminal history involving drugs, he said.

The Amber Alert was issued just after 7:30 p.m., which was after police had verified the father did not have custody and should not have the children and determined the incident met other requirements of issuing an Amber Alert, Elliott said.

Police feared the children could be in danger because John Rader’s criminal history and a pending battery case, Elliott said. One of the children also needed medication and did not have it, he said.

From Prince’s Lakes, John Rader drove to the home of acquaintances in Brown County, Elliott said. The father left at some point, and investigators suspect he had learned the police were looking for him, Elliott said.

When the people at the home learned of the Amber Alert for the boys, they called police, Elliott said.

Both boys were safe and unharmed.

Police have since found the vehicle John Rader was driving but have not found him, Elliott said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Prince’s Lakes police at 317-933-3517, or call 911. Police do not recommend anyone approach or try to apprehend John Rader, he said.

Annie Goeller is managing editor of the Daily Journal (Johnson County), a sister newspaper to the Brown County Democrat.