Home › News › Local News
Mother held for the alleged abduction of her son 3 years ago
Download this story as a podcast!
STORY TOOLS 
More from Local NewsA Simi Valley man was reunited with his son this month, more than three years after the boy's mother disappeared with the child during a custody dispute, authorities said.
Gerri Ann Ellis, who was wanted on suspicion of child abduction and passport fraud, was captured in Panama and returned to the United States last week, the U.S. State Department announced. She is facing charges in local and federal courts.
Ellis, 40, is suspected of abducting her son, Jonathan, now 9, in March 2004, authorities said.
The former Encino resident was embroiled at that time in a custody battle with the boy's father, John Ellis, said Tom Johnson, the senior deputy Ventura County district attorney in charge of the office's child abduction and recovery unit.
During custody proceedings in Los Angeles County on March 12, 2004, Gerri Ann Ellis left during a lunch break and never came back, Johnson said. Ellis allegedly picked up her son from school and took off with him, he said.
A felony arrest warrant was issued for Ellis that same month, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a private, nonprofit organization.
L. Kendal Smith, a State Department spokesman, said agents in Panama recently discovered that Ellis and her son were living in Panama City. She was arrested by Panamanian authorities on Aug. 14 and later returned to the United States, Smith said. The son, meanwhile, was returned to his father in Simi Valley.
Ellis was booked into Ventura County Jail. She posted the $250,000 bail, but then was put into federal custody, Johnson said.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles charges Ellis with one count of making a false statement in a passport application. As of Thursday, she was being held in a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles in lieu of $500,000 bail, said Eugene L. Trope, her lawyer.
If convicted, Ellis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
She is scheduled to appear Sept. 27 in Ventura County Superior Court for a hearing on child abduction charges. If convicted on that charge, she could face up to three years in prison, Johnson said.
Trope declined to comment on the charges or on how Ellis plans to plead.
Posted by kosmoz13 on August 24, 2007 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
if someone threatened to take my children from me, you bet I'd be on the next plane to Panama.
Posted by bozekid1 on August 24, 2007 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am so happy for you John and Jen. Your prayers have been answered
Posted by BeaHappi on August 24, 2007 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In these cases I always wonder what the child thinks? Was her son afraid when he was with her? Is he happy to be reunited with his dad? Just so many factors...very sad all the way around.
Posted by imbetnonit on August 24, 2007 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's a good question pxh.18
Posted by hotwildflower on August 24, 2007 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
as a child of parental kidnapping...it is hell for the child. They lose their sense of trust in people they should be able to trust whole heartedly. It will be a lifetime of healing for him. I hope his dad is willing to foot the bill for therapy because he will surely need it.
This was an extremely selfish move on her part, she was only thinking of what was best for her, not for her child.
Sharing custody isn't expected to be easy, but try acting like adults and looking at what is best for the child and maybe be a little more selective when having s*x with someone so you aren't having to deal with custody battles and actual raise a child like a family...amazing concept, huh?
Posted by ironwoman on August 24, 2007 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am not sure of the circumstances...but regardless, a woman should never take a child away from their Father. She should have let the court system make the appropriate decision. Now she's the one that won't be with her son for a very long time and who knows what kind of relationship will result of this. I feel sorry for the son...he must be going through a lot.
Posted by scsc13 on August 25, 2007 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a good law to impose & other countries need to follow for example Canada, while living their I met a dominican girl who later had a child with, after 2 months she left canada (98) to the dominican republic I have not seen her nor my son since..I have now returned to the states heart broken, the only reason why I have not taken my own life is because I do believe I will see him again anybody who knowsthe law &c can help contact me @ scsc13@yahoo.com
Posted by elisacassino on August 27, 2007 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
to wonderwoman, a woman or a man should not take the child from one another, during my divorce, my ex-husband took my son from me for 10 days, he was only 5 years old. I didn't sleep, eat or even want to live, I let the court system make the ultimate decision and it was clear who my son was to live with. I am glad of the outcome, 2 years after our divorce we developed a good relationship for the benefit of our son, our son is now 13 years old. When going through a situation like this, as terrible as it was for both of us, we did agree it was all the anger we had for one another.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on August 29, 2007 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bea, I agree!
scsc13 , My heart goes out to you! A private investigator may be of some help. Maybe you can find one that will do if for a minimal charge. Best wishes and dont ever give up! You will see him again one day!
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.