A Utah father who is believed to have kidnapped his two young sons may have taken them across the Mexican border after quitting his job and facing severe financial difficulties, authorities have reported.
Dane Stephen Richman, 46, allegedly took his sons, one-year-old Will and infant Wesley, after failing to return them to their mother Lizzie Tomich during a custody exchange on Saturday. According to a new indictment, prosecutors stated that Richman was 'upside down' on his mortgage and had to take out an additional line of credit on his home equity, describing his financial situation as 'dire.'
Authorities said Richman sold all of his possessions and abandoned his home in Saratoga Springs. On May 11, he quit his job at construction company FiberTel. He was in the midst of a bitter custody dispute, and when he resigned, he told his boss he was 'unable to continue working due to the current ongoing legal battles with his ex-girlfriend over the custody of his children,' according to documents.
In the days after he allegedly took the boys, investigators tracked his cell phone data to San Diego, near the US-Mexico border. Investigators said they obtained evidence leading them to believe he 'crossed into Mexico,' raising fears for the safety of the two young boys.
Tomich took to social media to plead for their return, saying she knew 'something was wrong' when he did not show up to hand their sons back to her over the weekend.
Father's Legal Troubles
Alongside the financial issues detailed in the indictment, public records show that Richman has had numerous brushes with the law, including at least two arrests for burglary, four arrests for theft, and charges of joyriding and fraud. He has also been charged with two counts of custodial interference following the disappearance of his sons.
Authorities have issued an urgent Amber Alert for Will and Wesley, as their family says they are terrified for their safety. Investigators believe Richman may be traveling with the boys in a black Toyota Camry with a Utah license plate reading A561HL.
Family's Plea
The boys' aunt, Kate Walters, said the last time the family saw the two boys was when Richman picked them up from their mother's house in Washington state on May 16. He then missed a deposition on Friday. Police carried out a welfare check on his home in Saratoga Springs soon after and found a moving truck outside without any items in it.
'That was terrifying to not know where her boys were,' Walters told Fox13. 'So again, unfortunately, because technically he still had custody day, we legally could not do a single thing about it.'
Addressing Richman directly, Walters added: 'Dane, if there's any small chance that you see this, your family cares about you and we're worried about you, and we just need to know that you're safe. Please bring the babies home, give them the life they were meant to have.'
Tomich also issued an urgent appeal on social media. Speaking alongside her attorney Brittany Skinner, she said she immediately felt the situation was ominous when Richman failed to show up for their custody hearing deposition. She flew to Utah for the deposition only to learn 'minutes' before it began that Richman had fired his attorney and 'would not be attending.'
'I immediately contacted him via calling his phone and texting. He did not respond. At that point, we called the police to do a welfare check on him,' the grief-stricken mother said. 'When the police arrived, we learned that the house was vacant and there were things being moved out. There was no car and Dane and the boys were not home. When we learned this, we knew something was wrong.'
Tomich continued talking to police, at which point Richman finally responded to her through text messages. He said he was camping, the boys were okay, and that he would meet her at the agreed-upon time and location to exchange the boys. However, he never showed up, and the boys have not been seen since.
'Please, like, share, repost everything, share with your family, share with your friends, anybody you know, they could be anywhere. Please,' Tomich said through a wavering voice. 'Just contact authorities and let them know. Keep your eyes out. If you're at the gas station, if you're camping, if you are anywhere, be on the lookout. Will and Wesley are two blue, beautiful, blonde-haired little boys that you will recognize.'
