TCDA recovers child near Oregon border

On September 1 Criminal Investigators from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations Child Abduction Unit traveled to Crescent City, Calif., to recover a child that was taken by the mother’s former boyfriend, Billy Aldama, against a court order.

The Investigators traveled with the child back to Tulare County and reunited the child with her biological father.

After the biological mother and Aldama separated, the mother agreed to have him take care of her daughter because she was no longer capable of caring for her. During this time, the biological father lost communication with the mother and his daughter.

On August 19 the Tulare County Superior Court granted the father legal and physical custody of his daughter. After several unsuccessful attempts to locate the child by him and his family, assistance was sought from the TCDA Child Abduction Unit.

After several days of investigation, and with the assistance of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office and the Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services, Aldama and the child were located in Crescent City. On August 31, Del Norte County Sheriff Deputies from Del Norte County along with a Social Worker from Del Norte County Health and Human Services, recovered the child without incident from Aldama’s residence.

Investigators from the TCDA Child Abduction Unit traveled to Crescent City, which is approximately 20 miles south of the Oregon border and recovered the child from Del Norte County Social Workers. The following day, Investigators safely reunited the child with the biological father in Tulare County. The Child Abduction Unit regularly returns abducted children to their legal guardians. TCDA Investigators have recovered abducted children from across the United States and Mexico and as far away as New Zealand.