A Texas mother whose child was abducted 23 years ago likely believed that she would never see him again. In 1992, the 1-year-old boy was with his father on a planned parental visit. The father failed to return the boy to his mother, who had physical custody, and disappeared.
The mother reported the matter to the police, and a warrant was issued for the father’s arrest two days later. It was apparently determined that he had fled Texas, taking the child with him. A federal criminal charge for fleeing the state in an effort to avoid prosecution was filed a month later. For all these years, the whereabouts of the man were unknown.
However, the law caught up with him when the FBI recently arrested him in New York in the vicinity of Medina. It was reported that the man will now be extradited to the State of Texas to face the charges against him. It is not known where the son — who is a grown man now — is currently located. This mother was denied the love and companionship of her child, and it is something no court can ever give back to her.
Parental abduction is not uncommon, but in the majority of cases, the child is located and returned to the parent with physical custody sooner than in this case. Noncustodial parents who violate the other parent’s custodial rights may lose all parental rights temporarily or permanently. After such an incident, the custodial parent may want to take precautions to prevent a recurring incident in the future. An experienced Texas child custody attorney will explain the options that are available under state laws. Parents who suspect that their former spouses may interfere with child custody may also want to be proactive in obtaining legal protection to avoid such incidents.
Source: CBS News, “Daniel Lee Kestel, ex-Texas man wanted for abducting infant son in 1992, captured in New York“, June 17, 2015