The Sarpy County attorney filed a petition Monday regarding what to do with the 14-year-old girl who disappeared from Los Angeles seven years ago and is now a ward of the state after being located in the metro on Sunday.

The girl, Taylor White, was allegedly abducted by her mother Joyce Thomas after she lost a custody battle with the child’s father.

"It's my understanding that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted him earlier today, but he has not yet contacted us," said Sarpy County Attorney Sandra Markley.

Markley's petition alleges "the mother of the child left the (father) because of domestic violence in the home" and says "the child's only memories of (her father) are of instances where he hurt her.” A court will now decide that.

Amy Pittman lives next door to the tiny house on a Bellevue street where Thomas lived as a fugitive with her daughter. "I heard about that on the news actually. I didn't know that was my next door neighbor. That scares me a lot."

The home in the Capehart Housing Project is apparently on federal property, even though there are no signs posted and public roads will get you here. Only minutes after arriving at Thomas' house, armed guards escorted Channel 6 News away.

Neighbors believe that's exactly what Thomas counted on to evade authorities. Neighbors say she kept to herself. They also say she always had her blinds closed. Now they say they know why.

Whether Thomas lived as a fugitive because she criminally kidnapped her child or whether she was protecting the child from her father is unclear.

None of that matters to Joan, who didn’t want her last name used. She spotted photos of Thomas and her daughter in an ad in Sunday’s newspaper concerning missing and exploited children and called police.

“I don't know the situation and I don't care. It's the point that this child was taken away. She's the non-custodial parent.”

Once they received the tip, police went to Joyce’s place of employment. Through a check of her employment records, authorities were able to verify this was the Joyce Thomas being sought.