Boy abducted in custody dispute found alive 3 years later after mom detained at US-Mexico border
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Andrew Escobar, who was declared missing in 2023 at the age of 11, has been found alive and safe in El Paso, Texas, three years after his disappearance.
Police said Andrew’s mother, Miriam Felix, took him during a custody dispute with his father, Juan Escobar. Multiple state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, were involved in the search, but efforts to locate him had been unsuccessful until now.
“I mean, I was in such shock and disbelief,” Juan Escobar said.
Juan and his wife quit their jobs to search for Andrew full-time. Despite remaining hopeful, Juan said he was not expecting the call he received on Wednesday from an El Paso police officer.
“He just right away is like, ‘Hey, Mr. Escobar, I just want you to know we have your son.’ And I mean, it took me like five, 10 seconds to process it and say, ‘What? You have him?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, we have your son,'” Juan said.
Escobar was told Miriam Felix triggered a warning while crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S. in El Paso.
“His mom triggered some sort of warning, and then they checked his ID, and then that’s when they recognized that he was listed as a missing person, and that’s when they detained them both,” Juan said.
Juan revealed that Andrew had traveled extensively over the past three years, including to Austria, Albania and Turkey.
“We’re concerned about his mental health. Physically, he’s well, but he’s just been through so much the last three years emotionally and mentally,” Juan said.
Darlene Gomez, an attorney who employs Juan and has been representing the family in their search, praised the efforts of law enforcement.
“They have beat this ground all over the United States looking for Andrew,” Gomez said.
She added that the next steps involve allowing Andrew to recover while law enforcement continues its investigation.
“I think for this family, there is a lot of unknowns. It’s the family getting to know one another again and to work at different paces,” Gomez said.
Miriam Felix is currently being held at an El Paso jail and is awaiting extradition back to New Mexico, according to Gomez.