Police Authorized to Pick Up Mindy McCready's Son Zander, Now Officially a Missing Person

Yesterday, country singer Mindy McCready missed a court-ordered deadline to return her 5-year-old son Zander to Florida by 5 p.m. EST, claiming that she couldn't travel as she was pregnant with twins.

As we suspected, that excuse was not good enough for the courts.

The judge in McCready's custody case has issued an emergency "pickup order," according to CNN, which means authorities are authorized to pick up the child and bring him back to Florida to be with his legal custodian, McCready's mother Gayle Inge.

McCready has stated that she believes Zander was being abused while in Inge's custody, and has stated multiple times that she does not plan to return the child to Florida.

"Ms. McCready's number one priority has always been, and continues to be, the safety of her son," McCready's publicist Kat Atwood told CNN.

"The 5-year-old boy has been with his mother for more than 30 days; law enforcement officials spoke with the child and saw Zander via Skype yesterday," she assured the media.

While authorities believe Zander is safe, efforts are underway to bring him back to his home state.

"The child is now an official missing person," said Aimee McLaughlin, a representative for the Children's Network of Southwest Florida.

Still, McCready, who has yet to be charged with any type of crime in leaving the state with her son, is remaining steadfast in her refusal to give Zander back.

"I'm a mom first," McCready told the AP from her home in Nashville, Tenn. "No matter what happens, I'm going to protect my kid. If I have to go to jail, so be it."

Meanwhile, legal custodian Inge is pleading for the return of Zander.

"It is our hope that ... Mindy will comply with law enforcement and recognize this is in the best interest of Zander," she told CNN this afternoon.

Zander's father, McCready's ex-boyfriend Billy McKnight, said on "Today" this morning, "I don't think (she understands). I think she believes she has a case and doesn't realize she's pushing her luck on this one."

We'll keep you updated as this situation further develops.