2 Howell girls trapped in Georgia reunited with dad

(AP) - Two little girls from New Jersey havebeen reunited with their father after being trapped by violence inthe Republic of Georgia for two weeks. They arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi around

News 12 Staff

Aug 21, 2008, 5:15 PM

Updated 5,908 days ago

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(AP) - Two little girls from New Jersey havebeen reunited with their father after being trapped by violence inthe Republic of Georgia for two weeks. They arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi around 2 p.m.Thursday after a six-hour ride with French Ambassador EricFournier. They were greeted with McDonald's Happy Meals and cake. Theirfather says they were about to go to a hotel to take bubble baths. Fournier said in a telephone interview that the girls,7-year-old Ashley and 3-year-old Sophia Evans, were held up forthree hours at a checkpoint in the town of Gori for three hoursbefore he was able to get permission to keep traveling from aRussian general he was able to reach. The girls' father, Joseph Evans, says they'll be back home inHowell within a few days. Ashley Evans, who is about to start second grade, says shemisses "everything" about being home. The girls were visiting their maternal grandparents in Georgiawhen Russian troops invaded two weeks ago and cut off passagewithin the country. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, flew to Georgiato seek help getting them out.