Girl Kidnapped in Child Custody Case Rescued in Mexico

A young girl who was kidnapped by her mother twelve years ago over a child custody case has been rescued in Mexico. Sabrina Allen, now 17, was rescued by local authorities more than twelve years after her mother, Dara Marie Llorens, took the then-four-year-old girl to her native Mexico. Sabrina’s father, Greg Allen, had not seen the girl since April 2002 after her mother kidnapped her over a dispute in their child custody case.

Child Custody Case Leads to International Manhunt

After Mr. Allen’s and Ms. Llorens’ divorce was finalized in December 2000, the terms of the child custody case gave Mr. Allen full custody and allowed the mother to spend at least one weekend a month with Sabrina. In April 2002, Ms. Llorens did not return Sabrina to her father as scheduled. Mr. Allen suspected that his ex-wife violated the terms of the child custody case and took Sabrina to Mexico. He traveled to Mexico several times, at his own expense, to find his daughter, only to come up empty-handed.

FBI Pursues Child Custody Case Kidnapper

According to news reports, the FBI had been investigating the kidnapping behind the child custody case since the beginning. Less than two weeks after Mr. Allen reported that his ex-wife had taken off with Sabrina, federal agents had determined that she had returned to Mexico with the child. The news reports stated that agents and police had pursued several leads and had come close to resolving the child custody case. Ms. Llorens had attained new identities for herself and Sabrina, as well as altering their appearances, helping her avoid capture.

Private Investigators Look Into Child Custody Case

Mr. Allen also put much of his own resources toward resolving the child custody case. He hired Klein Investigations, a private detective agency, to track down his ex-wife and daughter. Investigators with the Klein agency stated that they had tracked down Ms. Llorens and had her under surveillance for nearly two weeks. The investigators worked alongside the Austin Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals to track down the mother to the state of Tlaxcala, just 75 miles east of Mexico City.

Child Custody Case Ends In Arrest, Emotions

After her arrest, Ms. Llorens was extradited to the U.S. to face aggravated kidnapping charges related to the child custody case. Police have not yet determined if mother and daughter spent the entirety of their years on the run in Mexico, nor are they certain if Sabrina ever attempted to return to her father. In a press statement, Mr. Allen said that he was “overjoyed that Sabrina has been found alive and is safe.” Austin Police Detective J.J. Schmidt, who took part in the child custody case and kidnapping investigation, stated that Sabrina “is going through a lot of emotions” and “there’s no telling what she’s been told (about her father) over the past 12 years.”

Source: Los Angeles Times

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