Violating or interfering with child custody in the state of Texas constitutes a felony, no matter who you are. Even if you are a parent of the child, you cannot disregard the child custody orders without facing what can be serious consequences.
A mother of a 12-year-old girl is no doubt finding this out the hard way. The 43-year-old woman was arrested after she kidnapped her own daughter and took her across state lines. The woman was in a custody battle with her ex-husband, the girl’s father.
The father had custody of the girl and had just moved to Texas two weeks before the incident took place. The mother evidently showed up outside of their home and used her cellphone to call her daughter. She abducted the girl after the adolescent agreed to come outside.
Authorities were worried about the wellbeing of the girl because of a reportedly tumultuous relationship between the two. An Amber Alert was issued with license plate information that the father’s neighbors provided.
The girl was found safe two days after she was taken. Her mother faces charges related to interfering with child custody. She is expected to be extradited back to Texas.
This is an unfortunate case of someone trying to take the law into her own hands. The woman in this case ended up hurting herself in the long run and her chances of ever having custody of her child again. It would have been far more effective to consult with a lawyer and allow him or her to handle her case in court.
Source: Indy Star, “Missing Texas girl, 12, found safe in Fishers is caught in custody fight; mother is jailed,” John Tuohy and Jill Disis, April 14, 2013
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