U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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April 24, 2003 Former Vernon Hills Resident Arrested in Parental Kidnapping; Two Children Returned Unharmed Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Leo C. McCann, Chief of the Buffalo Grove, Illinois Police Department (BGPD) announced today the arrest of SONIA GALINDO, age 48, whose last known address was in Vernon Hills, Illinois. GALINDO was arrested early this afternoon, without incident, by FBI Special Agents at O'Hare International Airport. GALINDO was a passenger on a commercial flight that arrived from Mexico City. GALINDO was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago in February of 2002 with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP), which is a felony offense. She has been the subject of a nationwide manhunt ever since. According to the complaint, GALINDO fled the state in late 2001 with her two sons, who were ages 13 and 12 at the time. As the non-custodial parent, GALINDO was in violation of a state court custody order and was also charged with four counts of parental kidnapping in Lake County Circuit Court, following extensive investigation by the BGPD. Following her arrest, GALINDO was turned over to the BGPD. She is scheduled to appear in Lake County Circuit Court in Waukegan, later today. Her two minor children, who were with GALINDO when she was arrested, will be reunited with their father, who has legal custody. The GALINDO case has been profiled on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website, where additional information on GALINDO, including photographs, are available. A copy of the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court against GALINDO is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645. Additional questions regarding the kidnapping should be directed to the Buffalo Grove Police Department at (847) 459-2575. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. |
