Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog
Fifteen years ago, Prince Sagala’s estranged husband disappeared with their two children. Four months ago, she found them again when she discovered her daughter’s Facebook page.
Their father – Faustino Fernandez Utrera — had apparently fled to his native Mexico with them, after telling Sagala he was taking them to a park in 1995.
Sagala took the Facebook page to police, who were able to trace the children to Florida through her daughter’s friends on Facebook. Utrera was arrested in May and held at the Osceola County jail on kidnapping and child custody charges. He is currently awaiting extradition to California.
Sagala met her two children for a supervised visit recently at a Florida public library, but told the Associated Press that her children want nothing to do with her, having been told bad things about her by their father.
Utrera says that he took the children because his wife was having an affair with his brother and was mentally unstable. He alleges that she has always known where the children were living.
The California district attorney prosecuting the case says that while his office was aware of the allegations, the case has been investigated and they are proceeding.
If you have a child custody issue, you should consult with a Florida divorce and child custody attorney to learn what your rights are under Florida law.