A parent’s worst nightmare is the loss of a child, particularly when kidnapping is to blame. Not knowing where a child is or if he or she is safe is a horrible feeling that no parent should have to go through. That’s why so many courts listen to parents who fear that their children may be taken by a disgruntled parent. When it does happen, agencies must work quickly to bring the children home to their proper guardians.
A Sept. 4 news report has said that two little girls who went missing two weeks prior have been found in Florida. They had been taken away by their mother, a 39-year-old woman, when they visited her during a legal visitation time. The woman was meant to take the girls on Aug. 13 and return them on Aug. 21, but she never returned them to their father.
Three days after the missed return date, the mother missed a court date in Detroit. A year ago, she was convicted of kidnapping and fleeing with her one-month-old son while eluding police. She had pleaded no contest to the charges and was meant to be sentenced.
After the court date was missed, federal warrants were issued for her arrest. Finally, on Sunday, Sept. 4, the woman and her children were found in Jacksonville. She was arrested on federal kidnapping charges, and the girls will be returned to their father. He stated that he’d never had problems with her scheduled visitations in the past.
The woman is being held in Florida until it can be determined if she will be extradited to Michigan to face charges. If this kind of situation is familiar for you, know that you aren’t alone; many parents face this same trauma, and you can take legal steps to prevent it in the future.
Source: Fox2, “Kidnapped Northville girls found in Florida, mother in custody,” Hannah Saunders, Sep. 04, 2016