Chinese girl loses custody after divorce and is arrested for kidnapping_1

A Chinese-American woman from California was recently taken into custody while attempting to cross the Niagara Falls border into Canada with her young daughter. Authorities discovered that she lacked custody rights over her daughter, which led to charges of international parental kidnapping.

Prosecutors in California revealed that the 12-year-old girl is the biological daughter of 55-year-old Mei Tian. However, due to legal circumstances, custody belongs solely to the girl’s father, suggesting that Mei has been divorced and lost her rights to custody. At the time of her arrest, Riverside County prosecutors were already looking into allegations that Mei had kidnapped her daughter. Reports indicate that after being granted visitation rights in early August, she was required to return her daughter to her father by August 11 but subsequently vanished with the girl.

According to an indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, on the evening of September 27, Mei took her daughter in an Uber to the Rainbow Bridge Port at Niagara Falls, hoping to enter Canada. During the border crossing, she presented a document that she claimed gave her permission from the girl’s father to take her abroad. However, Canadian border officials determined that the signature on the document was forged and denied them entry.

Upon returning to the U.S. border, U.S. Customs officials conducted a background check, revealing Mei’s legal history. The indictment highlighted that there were multiple police reports concerning Mei and her daughter being “missing,” and court records in California indicated that they were barred from leaving the U.S. After their disappearance in August, both were specifically prohibited from leaving Orange County without authorization.

Preliminary investigations uncovered that Mei was carrying several bags and travel documents, including U.S. and Chinese passports, an expired Chinese passport, and her daughter’s birth certificate from Orange County, along with a handwritten note that was deemed forged by Canadian authorities. Reports suggest that Mei initially intended to enter Canada and then return to China with her daughter.

Mei faces charges of international parental kidnapping and making false statements to Customs and Border Protection officers. If convicted, she could face a prison sentence of up to eight years and a fine of $250,000.

Chinese-American attorney Chen Chuang commented that cases like this are not uncommon in U.S. divorce disputes. He noted the significant differences in the legal frameworks surrounding child protection in the U.S. compared to China, emphasizing strict regulations and harsh penalties for violations. He advised that individuals involved in divorce proceedings should be aware of these legal boundaries to prevent complications.