Child Custody Battle Leads to Kidnapping Charges for Two Orlando Men :: Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Christopher Stokes and Richard Douglas snatched an eight year old child from his father’s arms and then called police to ask if they were acting in accordance with the law. Apparently, the child’s mother, Laporsha Davis, believed that her estranged husband and child were homeless and living on the streets, so she asked the two men to take the child away from him.

The two approached George J. Davis as he stepped out of a cab. They demanded that he hand over the child, and when he refused they grabbed the boy and drove off with him. Davis recognized one of the men as a friend of his wife’s. He called his brother, who then called 911. Davis told police that he had actually been on the phone with Ms. Davis when the abduction took place. She had told him that she was planning to take the child away because she believed that he was not taking proper care of him.

When police contacted Ms. Davis, she admitted to asking the men to take the child, but did not want to tell police where they had taken him or contact them to ask them to return him. An hour after the kidnapping, a 911 operator received an anonymous call from a man inquiring about Florida child custody law. He asked if a parent could give verbal consent to give up custody of a child or if "there was paperwork involved." The operator told him it was felony kidnapping and he hung up.

Police were able to track the cell phone the caller used to find the two men and the child. The men are facing felony charges of interfering with child custody. Find out more details of this child custody battle at Police: Men snatched child from dad at I-Drive motel.

If you are involved in a child custody negotiation, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida divorce law firm.

Posted by Keith L. Maynard and Michael A. Atter | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Criminal Law