On Christmas Eve, 2-year-old Lucia Perry was visiting her father near The Grove in the Fairfax District when she was allegedly abducted by the man. Now, LAPD detectives are seeking the public’s help in locating the girl and her father (who does not have custody).

The visit was initially supervised, though the person in charge of supervision lost sight of the pair in the crowd, after which it is believed the father took off with Lucia. The father, Jack Perry, is described as a 31-year-old caucasian man with brown eyes. Lucia is 2’6″ tall, with brown hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing pink sweatpants, a yellow t-shirt and fluorescent pink Nike tennis shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division at 818-374-1913.

There are several kidnapping laws on the books, though the one that Jack Perry is likely to be charged with, when caught, will be California Penal Code 278 PC California’s “child abduction law.” A person can be charged with violating PC 278 when they “maliciously try to keep a child away from his/her parent/legal guardian.”

In California, child abduction is a “wobbler,” meaning it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the defendant’s prior criminal record. If charged as a misdemeanor, penalties include up to 1-year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000 and/or summary probation. If prosecuted as a felony, though, the sentence includes up to 4-years in county jail and up to $10,000 in fines. It’s entirely possible for someone to be charged with both child abduction as well as kidnapping, in which case the defendant may be sentenced to serve sentences for both crimes consecutively.

 

Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval is a California Licensed Bail Bondsman and owner of SCV Bail Bonds. Robin writes blogs and articles to help increase community awareness of the bail industry. If you have questions or want to suggest a topic, email robin@scvbailbonds.com, visit www.scvbailbonds.com or call 661-299-2245.
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval

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