A California father was arrested for the disappearance of his 15-year-old daughter, Alison Jillian Chao, who went missing during a bike ride to her relative’s house and later showed up outside a local television station a week later. Jeffrey Chao was taken into custody on charges of child abduction, conspiracy, and falsifying a police report after an extensive investigation by the Monterey Park Police Department. Alison was reported missing four hours after beginning her bike ride to her aunt’s house in San Gabriel, and a roadside camera captured her five miles away from her father’s home.
Alison’s disappearance prompted a city-wide search that included volunteers handing out missing person flyers and her mother, Annie, making tearful pleas for her return. The teen was found standing outside the offices of a local news station, where a Good Samaritan recognized her and called the authorities. The Samaritan reported that Alison had run away from home to avoid her mother and had come to the news studio to tell her side of the story. Alison’s parents were in the midst of a custody battle, with her mother recently being granted sole physical custody of her daughter on a temporary basis due to what was deemed best for Alison’s well-being.
During a press conference on the same day his daughter reappeared, Jeffrey Chao thanked friends and the community for helping find Alison. He expressed his worry about her whereabouts and emphasized her intelligence and good character, stating that she is a godly person with a good heart. Chao was booked for child abduction, conspiracy, and falsifying a police report, with no further information provided by the authorities. The Monterey Park Police Department’s Investigations Bureau is still actively looking into the incident with no additional comments at the moment.
Jeffrey Chao is currently being held without bail and is expected to appear in court on Monday, according to his attorney, Jose Romero. The circumstances surrounding Alison’s disappearance and return remain unclear, with details about the events leading up to her being found outside the news station still unknown. The investigation into the case continues, and the police have not shared any further updates or information. Alison’s well-being and situation are at the forefront of the ongoing legal proceedings with both parents involved in the custody battle. The case has garnered significant attention, raising questions about the dynamics within the family and the reasons behind Alison’s disappearance.
