Father of Missing California Teen Arrested on Child Abduction Charges After Week-Long Search
Police said Friday that the father of a 15-year-old girl from Southern California who had been missing for about a week had been arrested on suspicion of child abduction and other crimes.
From what the Monterey Park Police Department knows, Jeffrey Chao is also accused of lying on a police report about Alison Jillian Chao’s missing.
The elder Chao was being held without bail, according to his lawyer, Jose Romero, who wouldn’t say anything else.
Alison was reported missing on July 16, but she was found safe on Tuesday. The mystery led to calls for help from the public and searches led by locals.
Monterey Park police said in a statement, “The department’s hard work and ability to work with other agencies were key in resolving this critical situation and making sure Alison Chao’s safety.” “The Investigations Bureau of the Monterey Park Police Department is still looking into what happened and has nothing else to say at this time.” To the people of Monterey Park, we want to reassure you that the department will always look out for their safety and well-being. Thank you for your continued help with this probe.
Hannah Bui, the father’s family law lawyer, says that Alison’s mother has formal custody of her alone because of her mental health. As of last week, Annie Chao was given temporary physical control, according to Bui.
Jeffery Chao thanked his friends and the community for helping to find his daughter at a news gathering on Tuesday. The father’s lawyer said there were no signs of foul play or theft.
The father said, “We’ve been very worried about where she’s been.” “Thank you all so much for what you’ve done and helped with.”
Police say Alison was last seen around 6:20 p.m. on July 16 in the 4400 block of Collis Avenue in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles. Since then she has not been seen. Based on police reports and family members, the girl left her father’s house in Monterey Park that afternoon on a blue mountain bike and was on her way to an aunt’s house in San Gabriel. However, she never got there. Several security cameras in the area caught her riding her bike.
She was found early Tuesday morning when someone in the Glendale area recognized her and called the police.
The teenager’s parents are going through a divorce and a custody battle. Alison used to live with her father, but her lawyer for Jeffrey Chao said that her mother was recently given temporary custody of the girl right before she went missing.
It’s still not clear what happened when Alison went missing.