A pair of parents helped their teenage daughter run away with her baby and fake her disappearance so she wouldn’t have to share custody with her ex-husband.
Police confirmed that 19-year-old Madeline Jones was arrested in California on Monday, after a four-month search, and that her one-year-old son, William Gouchenour-Jones, had been reunited with his father, Jacob Gouchenour.
She is currently being held at a detention facility in Santee, California, pending extradition back to Mesa, Arizona.
Her arrest comes less than a week after her parents, Roland and Cassandra, were arrested for custodial interference and making false reports to police.
A pair of parents helped their teenage daughter, Madeline Jones, run away with her one-year-old son, William Couchenour-Jones (pictured together), and fake her disappearance so she wouldn’t have to share custody with her ex-husband. She was found in California on Monday after a four-month search
Her arrest comes less than a week after her parents, Cassandra (left) and Roland (right), were arrested for custodial interference and making false reports to police. They had initially reported the two missing on June 16, saying neither had been seen since the day before
Grandparents to William, they had initially reported the two missing on June 16, saying neither had been seen since the day before.
Authorities say the Joneses conceived the the disappearance to keep the baby away from Gouchenour, Madeline’s ex-husband who lives in Montana.
Reportedly, their marriage had been rocky for months before they were officially divorced in early June and were awarded joint custody of William.
A few days later, Cassandra and Roland reported their daughter and grandson missing.
The couple at first pinned the blame for the disappearance on Gouchenour, saying he abused Madeline.
Police reports also say that a family friend saw Madeline’s hair dyed a different color and saw William wearing a dress and a bow in his hair the afternoon before they disappeared.
The same woman told police that Madeline had told her they were going on a ‘vacation’.
Meanwhile, the Gouchenour family, who live spread photos of Madeline and William across the Internet since June.
The couple at first pinned the blame for the disappearance on Gouchenour (left), saying he abused Madeline (right). Police reports also say that a family friend saw Madeline’s hair dyed a different color and saw William wearing a dress and a bow in his hair the afternoon before they disappeared
In a Facebook video, Jacob Gouchenour (pictured) thanked everyone for their support and said he was ‘elated’ to be reunited with his son
Last week, Cassandra and Roland, were arrested while attempting to board an airplane in Phoenix the day after charges were filed against them.
‘We’re so grateful for all the work they’ve done,’ Andrea Gouchenour, Jacob’s mother, told The Great Falls Tribune, of the Mesa Police Department. ‘I think I’m going to hug every policeman I see.’
In a Facebook video, Jacob Gouchenour thanked everyone for their support
‘Thank you for the prayers, thank you for the thoughts. The prayers are what’s helping him home,’ he said.
According to ABC 15, Gouchenour said he was ‘elated’ to be reunited with his son.