A Redding father who abducted his two children and took them to Mexico has been arrested, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday.
The children were recovered from Mexico and are being reunited with their mother, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said it received a report that a parent had abducted their children in the 6000 block of Riverland Drive in Redding on Dec. 27. Thirty-eight-year-old Esteban Palavicini of Redding was identified as the suspect by the agency’s Major Crimes Unit.
The agency’s investigation determined that Palavicini abducted his two biological children after a court proceeding where he was ordered to turn over custody to the children’s biological mother.
Instead, Palavicini fled with the children, across the United States border into Mexico.
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A felony arrest warrant was issued for Palavicini and the Major Crimes Unit had been working with federal law enforcement partners to locate Palavicini and bring the children back.
Mexican law enforcement officers recovered the children on Thursday and said they were in good health.
Palavicini was later arrested at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection – San Luis Port of Entry on his outstanding felony arrest warrant. Authorities said he was booked into the Yuma County Jail in Arizona on suspicion of parental abduction, with his bail set at $500,000.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said it is coordinating Palavicini’s extradition back to Shasta County.
Michele Chandler covers dining, food, public safety and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding dad who abducted his 2 kids, fled to Mexico has been arrested
