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Man who says he’s father kidnapped boy, police say

By Jim Wozniak
Erwin Bureau Chief
jwozniak@johnsoncitypress.com

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ERWIN — A man who said he was the father of a 13-month-old boy took the child away from the mother last month and went to North Carolina, Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said Monday.

Juan Hernandez-Montalvo, age unavailable, Weaverville, N.C., was charged with kidnapping when he was arrested Friday.

“He came over (and) had never seen the child,” Harris said. “The woman let him see the child. He grabs it and takes off and leaves and went to North Carolina. She couldn’t find out where he was at for several days. She came to us and we helped her track him down.”

The incident happened Oct. 23. Harris said he sent officers Carla Ragland and Kelly Blevins to Buncombe County, N.C., and they found the child at a babysitter’s.

“The babysitter didn’t know the whole story,” Harris said. “A judge in Bumcombe County gave us an order to bring the child over here. We then found him and arrested him.”

The child has been reunited with the mother. Harris said the mother does not deny that Hernandez-Montalvo is the father but no DNA test has been conducted.

“Chances are he is the father,” said Harris, who nonetheless said the man did not have the right to act as he did.

Harris said the mother had given Hernandez-Montalvo permission to see the child at her apartment. So he came over and then took the child.

Harris said he tried to call Hernandez-Montalvo but the man would not answer. He said another woman called the mother and said he was taking the boy to Mexico.

“That really got her worried,” Harris said.

Hernandez-Montalvo was being held Monday in the Unicoi County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

Harris said the sheriff’s department would check into the possibility of deporting Hernandez-Montalvo.