An eight-year-old Florida girl reported missing was found in Louisiana on Saturday afternoon amid an ongoing custody dispute between her parents.
Homestead Police Department Captain Fernando Morales told Newsweek Liah Meza has been safely returned to her father, Christian Meza.
Her mother, Yailen Roche, fled with Meza on Friday after the court awarded the biological father custody, police said.
Homestead Police
The department also shared an Instagram post stating the child has been found and is safe with her father.
“We appreciate the community’s vigilance and swift action in helping to locate her,” Homestead Police said. “Thank you to everyone who shared the alert and remained on the lookout. Your support made a difference.”
Newsweek reached out to Dina Shehata-Hujber, the father’s lawyer, for a comment on the legal battle. She said Roche left with no intention of returning her daughter.
“There are ongoing investigations into the acts committed by Ms. Roche and her boyfriend,” Shehata-Hujber said. “Her cover story that she was on vacation in Louisiana is inconsistent with the facts as we know them. We also know the child was forced by Ms. Roche and her boyfriend to record videos for social media in support of their cover story.”
Meza is thankful to law enforcement for their swift commitment to finding and returning his daughter, she said.
According to the report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Meza was last seen near the 40th block of NW 1st Ave. in Homestead. She was believed to be with her mother, Roche, and her mother’s boyfriend, Geovany Maresma-Burcet, who has a history of multiple criminal offenses.
The department reported the three were likely traveling in a 2021 white Honda Pilot with a bicycle rack obscuring the rear license plate. They were heading toward the Lafayette, Louisiana area.
Roche and Maresma-Burcet contacted CBS News Miami before the police update, insisting that Meza wasn’t missing but was simply on vacation with them in Louisiana. Roche said they were confused when they woke up on Saturday to see their photos on the news.
Homestead Police
“We got in contact with our lawyers,” the mother told CBS News Miami. “They’re in the process of checking what’s happening because I have not gotten any notification … and they’re checking everything to put everything in place.”
Child Find of America reports that 78% of parents who abduct their children are non-custodial. A family abduction occurs when a family member takes or keeps a child in violation of the custodial parent’s or guardian’s rights.
A parent might abduct their child if they are unhappy with a court’s custody decision, have been denied visitation due to unpaid child support, want to protect the child or themselves from abuse, are upset about the relationship’s breakup, or are angry with the other parent over lifestyle changes.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story or missing persons? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
