A California father has been arrested following the disappearance of his teen daughter who went lacking throughout a motorbike trip to a relative’s dwelling, solely to indicate up exterior a neighborhood tv station per week later.
Jeffrey Chao was taken into custody on expenses of kid abduction, conspiracy and falsifying a police report Friday after an “intensive investigation” into 15-year-old Alison Jillian Chao’s vanishing, based on the Monterey Park Police Division.
The lacking teen was first reported to the police division on July 16 at 9:36 p.m., 4 hours after she started a 3-mile bike trip to her aunt’s home in close by San Gabriel.
A roadside digital camera captured Alison on her blue mountain bike on the 4400 block of Collis Avenue in Los Angeles, 5 miles from her father’s dwelling in Monterey Park, based on the police division.
She was reported lacking, presumably by her father, when she by no means arrived on the home.
Police launched a city-wide seek for the teenager, which included volunteers sweeping neighborhoods and handing out lacking particular person flyers whereas Alison’s mom, Annie, made a number of tearful pleas for the return of her daughter.
On July 23, the teenager was discovered standing exterior the workplaces of KABC, an ABC affiliate based mostly in Glendale Calif, after she was acknowledged by a resident who then known as authorities.
The Good Samaritan mentioned that Alison had run away from her dwelling to keep away from her mom, based on the Los Angeles Occasions.
She traveled to the information studio to “inform her aspect of the story.”
The teenager’s mother and father — who separated in March 2023 — are within the midst of a custody battle and Annie Chao was granted sole bodily custody of her daughter, on a brief foundation final week, though Alison had been residing along with her father, the outlet added.
The choice was made “in Alison’s greatest curiosity,” based on lawyer Emily Robinson, who was appointed as counsel for Alison by the Superior Court docket of Los Angeles.
“Primarily based upon my advocacy for Alison, in session along with her medical professionals, together with proof introduced to the court docket, which has included testimony from each mother and father, the decide has made determinations which can be solely in Alison’s greatest curiosity, together with awarding Alison’s mom, Annie Chao, sole determination making authority concerning Alison’s psychological well being and sole bodily custody of her,” Robinson mentioned.
Jeffrey Chao spoke at a press convention the identical day her daughter reappeared, thanking pals and the group for locating Alison.
“We’ve been actually anxious about the place she’s been,” the older Chao mentioned based on KNBC. “We actually recognize what everybody’s completed and helped out with.”
“She’s a really clever particular person and she or he’s a godly particular person with a very good coronary heart,” he added.
Jeffrey Chao was booked for youngster abduction, conspiracy, and falsifying a police report, however no different info was given.
“The Monterey Park Police Division Investigations Bureau continues to be at present investigating this incident and has no additional remark at the moment,” police mentioned Friday.
Jeffrey Chao is being held with out bail and is anticipated to seem in court docket on Monday, lawyer, Jose Romero, instructed NBC Los Angeles.
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