The father of a California teenager has been charged with robbing and hiding his daughter after appearing on a local news station a week after her disappearance.
Fifteen-year-old Alison Chao disappeared on July 16 after leaving her home in Monterey Park on her bicycle to visit a relative in San Gabriel.
When the teenager did not show up at her relatives’ house, her father reported her missing, which triggered a large-scale search operation.
Surveillance footage shows Chao cycling away from home wearing a purple T-shirt and long shorts.
A week later, on July 23, Chao was spotted outside the gates of the local ABC television station KABC in Glendale.
A woman from Glendale told The Los Angeles Times that she noticed a girl who resembled the missing teenager sneaking past a security guard and said she wanted to tell the news channel her side of the story. The 15-year-old was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when she disappeared.
Now, days after her mysterious reappearance, Chao’s father has been arrested on a number of charges in connection with the incident.
On Friday, July 26, 40-year-old Jeffrey Chao was charged with robbing and concealing his daughter and filing a false emergency report.
He pleaded not guilty and his bail was set at $500,000.
He was also ordered to surrender his firearms, while a protection order was issued against his wife and daughter.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said that “falsely reporting a child missing not only violates the law, but also diverts vital law enforcement resources from other serious matters.”
He vowed that “this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
According to Newsweek, the teenager’s parents, Jeffrey and Annie Chao, are in the process of filing for divorce.
On July 16, Annie was granted sole custody of her daughter.
Jeffrey’s sister Jenny Chao has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family’s legal costs and “to ensure their rights and well-being are fully protected during this difficult time.”
“We are deeply grateful for your continued support and unwavering support. We will continue to fight for justice for Alison and Jeffery!” she wrote in an update.
