Three people have been charged and two arrested in an international parental kidnapping case of an eight-year-old boy.
Police say Carlos and Jemima Guimaraes, the grandparents of Nico, who was three at the time he was abducted and brought to Brazil in 2013, were taken into custody at Miami International Airport Wednesday on the charges.
The grandparents are accused of assisting Nico’s mother, Marcelle Guimaraes, of moving the child to their native country of Brazil after claiming a relative’s wedding was taking place. The mother later applied for sole custody of the child.
In March 2017, a criminal complaint was filed by federal officials against Carlos, Jemima and Marcelle. The complaint was made public this week.
Now eight-year-old Nico (shown right with his father Chris Brann) was taken to Brazil in 2013 to begin a new life with his mother and Brann’s ex-wife Marcelle (left)
Nico’s grandparents Carlos and Jemima Guimaraes are accused of assisting Marcelle in moving the child to their native country of Brazil
Brann had been given visitation rights of Nico in Brazil, but only in the presence of armed security guards
Tearful Houston, Texas doctor and dad to the young boy, Chris Brann, said he is hopeful the grandparents’ arrest will bring him ‘a step closer’ to getting his son back, while speaking with WYFF.
‘People like me, who have had children abducted to countries like Brazil have little, if any chance, hope of ever seeing their child again,’ Brann said of his concern over the past five years.
Brann had been given visitation rights of Nico in Brazil, but only in the presence of armed security guards.
The father is pictured on his Facebook page smiling next to his joyful son Nico in this image
The father was also prohibited from going anywhere alone with his son or bringing him back to the United States.
Brann also said he is ‘prepared to ask the U.S. Attorney’s Office to be lenient in how it handles Carlos and Jemima’s cases’ if given his son back, according to a statement obtained by the Star Advertiser.
‘I always felt like if I could just see him, if I could just be in his life, he wouldn’t forget me,’ Brann told WYFF, in tears.
‘I always felt like if I could just see him, if I could just be in his life, he wouldn’t forget me,’ Brann said
‘He’d ask about me… and what to know who his dad is,’ he added.
Mom Marcelle, who has dual citizenship in both countries, has yet to be arrested. She and the child currently reside in Brazil.
After years of fighting for his rights back, Brann believes he will be a unit once more with his son.
‘It’s the first time in five years that I had a glimmer of hope that my son might come home.’
After years of fighting for his rights back, Brann believes he will be a unit once more with his son
Brann says their arrest is the ‘first time in five years’ he’s ‘had a glimmer of hope’