Alyssa contacted Child Find of America when her 3-year-old son, Levi, was abducted by his father, Donald, and Levi’s paternal grandmother, Florence. Alyssa and Donald had been in an on-and-off relationship marked by domestic violence in North Carolina. When Levi was born, Florence became closely involved in his care, often traveling from her home in Florida to Donald’s residence in North Carolina, while Alyssa attended school and sought employment. Grateful for Florence’s support, Alyssa found it difficult to leave Donald.
Everything changed when Alyssa was arrested and placed in jail for a month on a charge related to Donald’s substance abuse. During this time, Levi remained in Florence’s care, and Alyssa began making concrete plans to establish a separate home for herself and her son.
After resolving her legal difficulties and securing her own residence, Alyssa contacted Florence with the intent to bring Levi to their new home. Instead, Florence insisted on keeping Levi and pressured Alyssa to sign over her parental rights so Florence could assume guardianship. When Alyssa refused, Florence cut off all communication.
Fearing Donald might react violently if she tried to retrieve Levi on her own, Alyssa contacted the local police department in North Carolina, but without a custody order in place, police couldn’t step in while Levi was with his father. Alyssa connected with an attorney through a local domestic violence agency and a judge granted her a protective order and custody of Levi. The court ordered Donald to return Levi, but it was soon discovered that Levi was no longer with his father. Florence had left with Levi and had brought him to her undisclosed Florida residence.
Donald refused to cooperate with the court to provide Levi’s location, which eventually led to the court ordering his incarceration until he provided information that would help Alyssa secure Levi’s return. After months of not knowing Levi’s location, Alyssa’s attorney discovered that Florence had filed for guardianship in Florida. Although the court initially denied the petition because Florence had not provided her address, a hearing was scheduled for the following month.
Child Find of America worked with Alyssa to help her navigate the challenges of recovering Levi across state lines.
Our case manager located Florence and Levi, provided procedural information on how to register and enforce the North Carolina court order through coordination with local police in Florida, contacted Florida law enforcement to gather information, and served as a liaison between Alyssa and her North Carolina-based attorney.
The pending guardianship hearing presented a significant obstacle. Alyssa’s North Carolina attorney was not licensed to practice in Florida, and her limited income made hiring another attorney financially impossible. Because she was not a Florida resident, she was also ineligible for the free legal assistance she sought there. Determined to bring Levi home, Alyssa traveled to Florida to address the matter herself.
Once there, Alyssa contacted the local police department to ask them to enforce the out-of-state guardianship petition. When law enforcement made contact with Florence, she evaded their questions and denied having Levi. Alyssa was determined – she attended the guardianship hearing scheduled in Florida and after informing the court of the North Carolina order, Florence’s custody petition was dismissed.
Despite the ruling, Florence refused to return Levi, claiming he was no longer in her custody. The Sheriff’s Department stepped in to help enforce the custody order and told Florence they were considering charging her criminally. Realizing she might be arrested, Florence conceded and brought Levi to the police station, where he was reunited with his mother.
Alyssa was overjoyed to have Levi back after being apart with no communication with her son for several months. As is often the case, however, the fallout of the abduction soon began to unfold. Alyssa was concerned with some of Levi’s new behaviors and Levi later confided in his mom that he had suffered sexual abuse by a family member while he was in the care of his grandmother. Our case manager has continued to provide support, information, and referrals for local trauma-informed services.
Although Levi’s safe return brought the immediate search to an end, the effects of his abduction and subsequent experiences may take much longer to address. Alyssa and Levi’s case will remain open, ensuring that Alyssa can continue to seek guidance, resources, and support as she helps her son recover, rebuild a sense of security, and bring peace to their lives.
Names and locations have been changed or omitted to protect the confidentiality of our callers.