A child was found in Puerto Rico after authorities said his father unlawfully removed him from Pennsylvania and then ceased communication, leading to an “extensive investigation.”<\/p>\n
The Lackawana County District Attorney announced on Thursday that 65-year-old Frank Nellom was arrested in Puerto Rico after illegally taking his son from the Scranton area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The district attorney’s office said the investigation began after Nellom took his son and went to Puerto Rico, despite a custody order that grants the child’s mother full custody. Then Nellom ceased communication, and authorities said they no longer knew where the boy was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a large investigation involving multiple agencies in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the district attorney’s office said authorities found Nellom and the child.<\/p>\n
The boy is being cared for by Puerto Rico’s Administration for Families and Children, waiting to be reunited with his mother in Pennsylvania, the DA said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“While criminal investigations often focus on arrests and charges, the most important outcome in this case is that a child is safe and will soon be reunited with his mother,” District Attorney Brian J. Gallagher said in a social media post. “That result reflects the very best of law enforcement, child advocacy, and interagency cooperation.”<\/p>\n
Court paperwork shows that Nellom is currently facing felony charges of interfering with the custody of children and concealing the whereabouts of a child. The Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office said the investigation is still active, and more charges are anticipated.\u00a0<\/p>\n