Age 5 Boy Found Safe Two Years After Mother Allegedly Abducted Him & Disappeared
One of a parent’s greatest fears is losing track of their child. The younger the child is, the more terrifying it is when they’re out of sight.
Kids get lost all the time at stores, the beach and other crowded places — but it’s a completely different matter when they haven’t simply wandered off but instead have been taken.
For one father, a nightmare that has lasted for around two years has finally come to an end. His son, Matthew, just 3 years old, went missing in 2016, and the trail went cold.
The worried dad knew who’d taken the boy, though. Christina Hale, the boy’s mother, had allegedly run away with him to avoid turning him over to his father, according to NECN.
Two years ago, before he knew his son had been kidnapped, he went to police for assistance in securing his son. Master Deputy Ingrid Tejada-Monforte explained the situation to Boston 25 News.
“He was from New York,” Deputy Tejada-Monforte said, “he had paperwork stating he had full custody of his child, and he wanted officers to go with him to keep the peace.”
He must have expected some sort of resistance, but apparently he did not expect that his son would have left the state weeks ago. Hale first stayed with her mother as she hid from her son’s father, but then drove to a cousin’s in Florida.
She and Matthew stayed with Warren Hale for 10 months before an anonymous tip came to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and their hiding spot was revealed.
Christina was arrested, charged with parental kidnapping, and taken to jail, and Matthew is in the care of the Department of Children and Families.
“She was located down in Florida with a relative, I assume, because it’s the same last name, and she was taken into custody,” Tejada-Monforte said. “Matthew was taken into custody of the Department of Children and Families, and they’re working on reuniting him with his father.”
“For the father, this is a good relief for him to know that his child is okay and is in good health,” she concluded.
Warren Hale seems surprised by the turn of events, claiming that Christina was nothing short of exemplary in the 10 months she spent with him.
“Nothing about this, in my opinion, was malicious,” Warren Hale told WESH2. “You know, for the 10 months that she’s been here, she’s been a pure example of what a mother should be.”
“She’s a fantastic mother, and, you know, I really hope that the courts, at some point, you know, allow her to see her son again.”
“You know, I hope and pray that if this man does have Matthew, that he is the best father, you know, that he can be,” he added. “Cause he deserves that. He’s such a good kid.”
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