FBI
Jon Michael Bryan faces felony charges after being found on Kauai with his daughter, Angeline, missing since he vanished with her in 1998.
Girl lost 5 years
found on KauaiThe 11-year-old's father allegedly
kidnapped the girl in Florida
A Florida mother's five-year search for her daughter ended on Kauai yesterday after the 11-year-old girl was found safe at Kapaa Elementary School.
Elke Hoercher, of Boca Raton, Fla., is headed to Hawaii for a reunion with Angeline, 11, who was living in Kapaa with her father.
The father, Jon Michael Bryan, 45, faces felony charges of parental kidnapping and concealing a minor child contrary to a court order. He was arrested by Kauai Police Department detectives yesterday when he arrived at Kapaa Elementary to pick up his daughter. He had been considered a fugitive since he failed to return the girl to her mother in July 1998. The FBI listed him as one of the 20 most wanted parental kidnapping fugitives.
Police in Delray Beach, Fla., told the local newspaper that a tip following distribution of her photograph by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led them to Angeline.
Hawaii was one of the states targeted in the distribution of 75 million mailers with Angeline's photo. Bryan was known to have a friend in Hawaii. Earlier, a private detective was sent to Hawaii but returned empty-handed, according to a story today in the Boca Raton News.
The Florida paper quoted Hoercher and Delray police Detective Tom Whatley in the following account: Hoercher and Whatley sifted through leads yesterday that came in response to the mailer. Hoercher recognized a photo of her blond, blue-eyed daughter.
Whatley communicated with Kauai police, who had Angeline excused from class to take a telephone call. Hoercher greeted Angeline as "schatz" -- German for sweetie -- and they recognized each other immediately. She told the child, who celebrated her 11th birthday last month, "I'm coming to get you."
Hoercher told the newspaper she is scheduled to board an early flight today for Hawaii and will bring her daughter back to Florida in a few days.
Angeline was turned over to Child Protective Services, according to the Kauai Police Department.
Police said Bryan is being held at the police cellblock awaiting extradition. Besides the Florida charges, there has been a federal arrest warrant, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, out for Bryan since 2000.
No details were released about Bryan's current address or occupation. An FBI flier said he has been employed as a bartender, waiter and security guard in the past.
Florida police told the Boca Raton newspaper that in an earlier attempt to find Angeline, the state attorney offered amnesty to Bryan. A copy of the offer was sent to Bryan's friend in Hawaii.
Angeline was 6 when she was last seen with Bryan outside his Delray Beach apartment on July 27, 1998. He had picked her up a month earlier and, as noncustodial parent, was supposed to return her to her mother in 30 days.
Hoercher could not be reached last night. In a recorded message on her telephone, she says, "If you have information on my missing daughter, please leave a message."
