Rilee Crouch missing Texas girl who went missing during custody visit with her mother in San Padre returned to her father, Dakota Crouch after child was abducted by her mother, Lillian Maria Crouch over the summer.
A 3 year old Texas girl who went missing in July during a drop off with her mother at the woman’s South Padre residence has been returned to her father according to reports.
Rilee Crouch was last seen on the holiday island on July 5 when her father, Dakota Crouch dropped her off at her non custodial mother Lillian Maria Crouch‘s home. The former couple was reportedly in the middle of a custodial battle.
Both Rilee and her mother were gone when Crouch returned to pick her up two days later, according to officials.
According to relatives, the mother had abducted the toddler to Panama as part of a plan to flee to Turkey, Rilee’s parental grandmother told ValleyCentral.
Rilee and Lillian, 29, landed back in Texas on Sunday night, having been escorted by US marshals from Panama City.
Lillian was arrested at the airport upon arrival for interference with child custody.
Rilee has since been handed back to her father, South Padre Island spokesperson Angelique Soto told KRGV.
Authorities revealed tracking down Rilee in Panama on Sunday, December 29. Officials did not say how the ‘kidnapped’ child was tracked down to Panama.
Panama is a country in Central America, located at the southern end of the region and bordering South America near Costa Rica. Panama is about 2,500 miles south of South Padre Island.
Over the summer, Rilee’s father said Lillian’s phone would go straight to voice mail when he trying to reach her, adding that her lawyers in the custody case withdrew because they could not reach her, either.
‘This was the third go around of times that she has denied me visitations,’ Dakota Crouch said.
‘She had already been warned by the judge to please stop this and this time it has taken a turn for the worse. She is unable to be located at all.’
The father had expressed frustration that police did not issue an Amber alert for his daughter, as abductions by parents in custodial disputes are usually considered civil issues.
South Padre Island is a resort town off the southern tip of Texas and has a population of about 2,000.
