A California father has been arrested after his teenage daughter disappeared while cycling to a relative’s house and turned up in front of a local television station a week later.
Jeffrey Chao was taken into custody Friday on charges of child abduction, conspiracy and falsifying a police report after an “extensive investigation” into the disappearance of 15-year-old Allison Jillian Chao. According to Monterey Park Police.
The missing girl was first reported to police at 9:36 p.m. on July 16, four hours after she began a three-mile bike ride to her aunt’s house near San Gabriel.
Police said a roadside camera captured Allison riding a blue mountain bike in the 4400 block of Collis Avenue in Los Angeles, five miles from Monterey Park, where her father lives.
She never returned home and was reported missing, presumably by her father.
Police launched a city-wide search for the girl, with volunteers scouring neighbourhoods and handing out missing persons fliers, while Allison’s mother, Annie, tearfully pleaded repeatedly for her daughter to be returned.
On July 23, the girl was spotted standing outside the offices of Glendale, California-based ABC affiliate KABC by a resident who called authorities.
The Good Samaritan said Allison had run away from home to get away from her mother. According to the Los Angeles Times.
She headed into the news studio to “tell her side of the story.”
The girl’s parents, who separated in March 2023, are in the midst of a custody battle and although Allison has been living with her father, Annie Chao was temporarily awarded sole custody of her daughter last week, the outlet added.
Her lawyer said the decision was made “in Alison’s best interests.” Emily Robinson He was appointed as Allison’s attorney by the Los Angeles Superior Court.
“Based on my representation for Allison, consultations with her medical experts, and the evidence presented to the court, including testimony from both parents, the judge made a decision entirely in Allison’s interest, including awarding Allison’s mother, Annie Chao, sole decision-making authority regarding Allison’s mental health and sole physical custody of her,” Robinson said.
At a press conference the day his daughter was reseen, Jeffrey Chao expressed gratitude to friends and community members who helped find Allison.
“We were really worried about where she was,” Chao said. According to KNBC. “I really appreciate all you’ve done and helped out.”
“She’s a very intelligent person and a godly person with a really kind heart,” he added.
Jeffrey Chao was arrested on suspicion of child abduction, conspiracy and falsifying a police report, but no other information was released.
“The Monterey Park Police Investigative Bureau is still investigating this incident and will have no further comment at this time,” police said in a statement Friday.
Jeffrey Chao is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, his lawyer, Jose Romero, told NBC Los Angeles.
