ALABAMA: Father knew where child in day care snatching case was, mother’s attorney contends BY: COURTNEY B.

LINK FOR OPINION: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.msbcollege.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/ In the case of Father knew where child in day care snatching case was, mother’s attorney contends Vertrees v. Rupe (July 2013) the father of 5 year old, Rebecca Vertrees is being charged for allegedly knowing where his daughter was the entire time she had be reported as abducted from the child care center, Training Wheels Child Care Center located in Mobile, Alabama. On June 14, 2013 the child had been reportedly snatched at her day care center, the custodial parent, Aric Vertrees had given no evidence of who may have taken the girl. The day care staff had stated that they received a phone call from the father giving permission for an older lady, named as Cynthia Rupe’s mother. Cynthia is a noncustodial parent of the little girl. The staff of the day care had stated that there was a younger lady in the passenger seat of the vehicle that left with the child, this lady is suspected to be Cynthia Rupe. Attorney of Cynthia, Michael McDuffie, states that Mrs. Rupe is being charged with custodial interference charges. However, she states that Mr. Vertrees was aware of his daughter’s whereabouts the entire time. She stated that Aric was not always sure that Rebecca was his daughter, due to Mrs. Rupe being with another man previously. A co-defendant, William Rupe, had made a statement that Vertrees “knew where the child was and that he had wanted her to be with her mother”. Mr. Rupe is being charged with similar charges as Cynthia Rupe as he is claimed to have worked together in the abduction with Mrs. Rupe. The Mobile County District Judge Bob Sherling is not impressed with the case and the parties, he feels their stories do not line up. He has given William Rupe a bail bond of $7500 but has refused to reduce a $30,000 cash-only bail bond for Cynthia Rupe. The judge does not trust any of the electronic safeguards for this case. He stated that the safeguards “do not give me and assurance that we will not be dealing with the same thing next year” and that “she has defied a court order and disappeared with the child”. On July 25, 2013 Mrs. Rupe had called WALA Fox10 and stated that she had the little girl and that she was not going to return her. The little girl had finally been tracked down and located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2013 by a U.S. Marshall.