Police reveal new details in canceled AMBER Alert of 3-year-old girl, biological mother allegedly took child
APOPKA, Fla. - Police have revealed new details in the alleged abduction of a three-year-old Apopka girl.
Investigators say the mother of the child and her boyfriend took the girl; however, the father of the child told police his daughter was abducted by an unknown person because he feared police would not consider it a crime if the mother took the child.
The Apopka Police Department said that three-year-old Madeline Mejia was taken just after 6 a.m. on Monday morning. They were reportedly told that her father was grabbing the keys to his vehicle outside of an Apoka home when he heard his daughter scream and saw somebody in a black Honda with temporary Texas tags departing the area. He allegedly followed the vehicle until he lost sight of them and returned home to retrieve his cell phone and call police.
Hours later, troopers said the girl was discovered on Interstate 10 near mile marker 208 in Leon County with three other people in the car. They completed a traffic stop on the vehicle and found Madeline safe. FHP said that three men and one woman were taken into custody and will be extradited to Central Florida.
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The Apopka Police Department confirmed on Tuesday that Madeline was taken by her biological mother and her mother's boyfriend without force. However, they said that the mother, identified as 19-year-old Tania Duarte, acknowledged that she did not have legal custody of the child. She and her boyfriend, 19-year-old Kevin Olmeda-Velias, were arrested for interference with child custody and booked into the Leon County Jail.
Police said the other two suspects in the vehicle were released and taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
They also said that the father of Madeline, Lester Mejia, was not completely forthcoming with the original information he provided to police. When confronted, he reportedly advised that he was contacted by a relative while at work and informed Duarte had taken the child. Upon learning this, he called 911 while traveling back to Apopka from work. However, police said that he heard from an unknown dispatcher that there was no crime if the mother has the child, so he was scared he would not see his daughter again. He allegedly provided the abduction story in hopes it would assist in recovering his daughter.
Fox 35 spoke with the father Tuesday, who said "I, as an anguished father, would give my life for my daughter if I had to. I am not really nervous at all about what I did because I have my motives and reasons. Certainly in time, they will realize."
Fox 35 legal analyst Bob Fisher says it appears Apopka Police could charge the father with false reporting but doesn't think they will "especially in light of the dad’s good faith attempt or intent to recover his own daughter." But that raises the question: "If I act in good faith, does that mean that no agency will charge me with having committed a violation of this statute?"
For now Madeline Mejia is at home safe with her dad. "I am really happy, I am happy to have my daughter and give her the time she deserves, taking care of her and protecting her, and for me, my daughter is everything."
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The father does have lawful custody of his daughter and the mother did unlawfully take her, police confirmed though.
Police are continuing their investigation into the abduction.
This story was written in Orlando, Florida.