On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, February 5, 2014.
State police put out an AMBER alert for a 3-year-old girl after the father allegedly kidnapped the child from her home in Lansing the evening of Jan 23. According to police statements, the man wielded a handgun and forcefully entered his ex-girlfriend’s residence on 175th Street. He took the child and left the scene in a black SUV. Reports didn’t specify whether the parents had a child custody arrangement in place.
Law enforcement responded at approximately 8:15 p.m. and communicated with the family throughout the pursuit. Before long, the father’s SUV was located in nearby Riverdale. Police didn’t find the father and child, but they reportedly detained an unidentified “person of interest” during their search. Officials say the girl was delivered into Lansing police custody within five hours of being taken, and they were able to withdraw the AMBER alert by 12:40 a.m. on Jan. 24.
The father was apprehended and charged with abduction and home invasion. Parental kidnapping charges may lead to a long-term loss of custody and visitation rights, especially if the accused parent is believed to be a threat to the child’s safety. In this case, a family law court may view the father’s possession of a firearm as a serious act of endangerment.
Reports didn’t clarify who brought the 3-year-old girl to the police. If the accused father decided to cooperate and willingly turned over the girl, he may have a better chance of fighting the abduction charges and reestablishing visitation rights in the future. Anyone who is concerned with leaving their children alone with the other parent could also seek legal help to limit contact or work out a supervised visitation agreement.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Man Charged With Kidnapping Daughter, 3, In Lansing“, January 31, 2014