Police in California successfully apprehended and arrested the man believed to be responsible for the abduction of a 15-year-old girl from Moneterey Park last week. After Alison Chao was found safe on Tuesday, July 23, authorities confirmed that they had arrested her father, Jeffrey Chao, on charges of suspicion of child abduction, falsifying a police report, and conspiracy.
The disturbing story began when Alison was reported missing after leaving home on her bicycle and heading to see a relative in San Gabriel. The teenager never arrived at the relative’s home.
Reports at the time described a “desperate search” for the young girl who left home at 5:30pm on July 16. By July 23, however, the girl was located by Glendale Police. A press conference was held on the same day, attended by members of her family, including her father Jeffrey Chao, in which they expressed their thanks to local police officers and residents for helping them search.
During the press conference, Jeffrey was pressed by local journalists about the ordeal, and when asked whether he had heard from his daughter at all during the days that she was missing, he replied, “no.”
Jeffrey thanked “all the friends” and “the community” who came out to help look for his daughter, but it was only three days later that he was charged by Monterey Park Police Department over his alleged connection with her disappearance. Jail records currently indicate that the father is in police custody, but it is not clear whether he has yet entered a plea – and police have still not offered details about what led to his arrest.
Here’s What We Do Know
We might not have the full details about the arrest, but local people have offered their insights on what might have happened during the teenager’s disappearance. According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, Alison Chao was spotted a security guard and an unnamed woman who recognized her from media reports. When the girl was approached, she reportedly told the security guard that she had deliberately run away from home and didn’t want to return. She also claimed that she had tried to tell the news outlets her story, but that nobody wanted to listen to her.
A follow-up press conference, held after Chao was discovered, revealed a bitter custody battle between the father and mother. Reporters learned that Alison’s mother was granted temporary custody following a divorce.
An attorney representing the child has since told PEOPLE that the disappearance is the result of a “very complex” and ongoing legal battle that “should not be in the public forum.”
The attorney stressed the importance of accurate reporting, and suggested that “misleading and inaccurate social media posts” are causing further harm.
With that in mind, we’ll be waiting for more information from the authorities before we report further.
