Mother Finds Kidnapped Children Through Facebook

Mother Finds Kidnapped Children Through Facebook
Children had vanished 15 years ago

By GORDON TOKUMATSU and GIL CUNHA
Updated 12:45 PM PDT, Sat, Jun 5, 2010



A San Bernardino mother whose children were kidnapped 15 years ago was able to finally track them down using Facebook.

San Bernardino’s Deputy District Attorney says it’s the first time his office has handled a case like this one. But in this digital age, it may not be the last.

Faustino Utrera, father of two toddlers, a boy and girl, vanished with them in 1995. Their mother reported them missing and 15 years passed.

"At the time, they were 2 and 3 years old. So they’re now 17 and 16," said Kurt Rowley, San Bernardino Deputy District Attorney.

But in those years, the Internet exploded and social networking sites revolutionized the process of tracking people down.

"The mother got on to Facebook and typed in one of the children’s names and hit a Facebook page," said Rowley.

It was her daughter, and they started corresponding. The mother even sent the teenager a family photo, dating back to before the split. But the relationship stalled.

"The teenager said, 'Not interested in a relationship. We just have a happy life. Leave us alone,'" said Rowley.

The teen’s Facebook page disappeared. The mother, who still lives in San Bernardino, contacted Rowley and his investigators. They tracked the Facebook profile and the girl to Orlando, Fla.

Utrera was then arrested and is now charged with two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of violating child custody orders.

As for the mother and her children, they will have to build a new relationship.

"There is no relationship there," said Carrie Hoeppner of the Florida Department of Children & Families. "You don't have that immediate joyful reunification. If in fact that is what will progress, it will take time. These children will have to build a relationship, and that is something that will not happen overnight."

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/Mother-Finds-Kidnapped-Children-Through-Facebook-95630389.html

I feel so badly for this mother. After all those years of not having her children, she finds them only to have them tell her they want no relationship.

That would just about kill me.

I hope they can all find some semblance of peace and the kids learn to love their mother.

I hope so too Snaz. Their father raised them and that was the only life they knew, but hopefully they will realize what he did was wrong and none of this is their mother's fault. I hope they eventually open up to the possibility of having a relationship with her and loving her.

This is going to be exteremely difficult, if not impossible, for the mother to bridge the 15-year gap. I feel so sorry for her. The father of the teens severed her mother role when he disappeared with the children.

Unforunately in the children's eyes right now she is the bad guy, and they will blame her for the Dad being arrested.

I agree Julie. He also may have told them she left them, didn't want them. It will be next to impossible for her to get close to her children now. How tragic for all of them.

Hopefully, with therapy, they can develop a relationship. I, personally, don't think it is impossible, but it will require a lot of hard work on the part of each person.

The biggest hurdle, as I see it, is for each to WANT to work it out...

I'm hoping that once a person in authority, LE?, explains to them what happened, maybe they will be a little more open to their Mom. She did nothing wrong.

I hope that happens, Julie. They were only 2 and 3 when this happened, who knows what they were told all their lives. It will be quite a challenge to undo what their father ingrained in their minds. Their lives are turned completely upside down and their father is in jail. And sadly, I'd say they are blaming this on her as well. I said it was next to impossible because a loving relationship is a very long way off, IMO.