2 children returned home after being abducted, taken overseas by father

Two Placer County children who were allegedly unlawfully taken overseas by their non-custodial parent have been returned to their mother after an exhaustive effort by the Placer County District Attorney's Office Investigations Bureau. According to the Placer County DA's Office, the case began earlier this year when a local parent allowed her estranged spouse to take their children to school. When her children did not arrive at school, she quickly realized they had been abducted and reported the incident to law enforcement. Within days, it became clear the estranged parent fled the country with the children, setting off a complex international recovery effort, said Placer County officials. After obtaining an emergency custody order through the local family court, the mother was referred to the District Attorney's Child Abduction Unit. Investigators immediately began working with federal authorities and international partners to initiate a Hague Petition through the U.S. State Department - a treaty process used to return abducted children to their home country. According to the Placer County DA's Office, after diligent coordination and around-the-clock communication with multiple agencies, the investigators guided the case through a lengthy and highly technical international process. After weeks of effort, including the facilitation of United States-based witness testimony, the children were reunited with their mother in California. "This case shows the extraordinary dedication of our investigators," said Placer County DA Investigation Unit Bureau Chief Mary Green. "In these sensitive cases, they act as agents of the courts, not taking sides but working to reunite families and ensure that the welfare of children remains at the forefront in every related case they handle." A criminal charge for child abduction has been filed against the offending parent, who now faces an active warrant upon his return to the US.