Missouri boy awaiting heart transplant returned safely to mom; dad arrested

On behalf of The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, April 26, 2012

A five-year-old boy awaiting a heart transplant is safely back at his Missouri home after his father allegedly abducted him from a St. Louis hospital and took him to Illinois.

The boy was found at a Chicago-area motel with his father, 33, who now faces charges of kidnapping, child endangerment and interfering with child custody. The father lost custody of his son in a December divorce.

The man’s mother, 59, and sister, 37, face the same criminal charges after allegedly helping him carry out the abduction.

The boy was being released from the hospital and was going with his father to the pharmacy to pick up medications when the abduction apparently occurred.

Police said that after the Tuesday abduction, the man called and texted his ex-wife repeatedly. The communications apparently led police to an Alsip, Illinois, motel where the man was staying with his son, mother, sister and sister’s son on Wednesday.

The boy has cardiomyopathy — a condition that weakens the heart — and was attached to a portable IV when his father took him from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The father had only enough medication to sustain his son for a day, officials said.

However, the boy was apparently physically fine after his return, authorities stated.

Doctors recently put the 47-pound boy on a heart transplant waiting list and had released him to return to his St. Joseph home with his mom.

His father is now in jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.

Though emotions often run high in child custody disputes, both parents should always strive to keep their child’s interests and safety as their top priority.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Kidnapped heart patient found safe; dad, grandma charged,” Dan Rozek, April 25, 2012

Recent Posts
Archives
Archives
Categories
Categories

You need an experienced divorce attorney on your side.