Palm Coast children reunited with custodial parent after abduction, sheriff says
Two children were reunited with their custodial parent after they were abducted by their non-custodial father who is now in jail, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The father, Derek Jordan, 39, admitted to planning and then traveling to Flagler County to abduct the children, a 3-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, the sheriff’s office stated.
Jordan was charged with two counts of kidnapping a minor under 13; aggravated battery on a person over 65; and burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery.
Jordan was being held in the Duval County Jail without bond pending his return to Flagler County's Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 2:06 p.m. Friday. Deputies responded to a home in the Z-section of Palm Coast, where a person said the father entered the house, pushed a family member and forcefully took the children, the sheriff’s office stated.
Jordan does not have custody or legal authority over the children, the sheriff’s office stated.
Jordan drove away with the children in a grey Toyota Sienna minivan with an Indiana tag.
Deputies began looking for the vehicle and the sheriff’s office Real Time Crime Center alerted nearby agencies of the vehicle. The sheriff’s office also began working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to issue an Amber Alert.
With help from the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol, Jordan’s vehicle was quickly located on Interstate-10 West near MM346 by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. They conducted a traffic stop around 3:42 p.m. and the children were rescued and the father was arrested, the sheriff’s office stated.
“This was outstanding teamwork between all agencies involved and our network of Real Time Crime Centers,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Our RTCC and our major case detectives were a buzz of activity and resulted in the quick apprehension of the suspect and the safe return of the children.”
The sheriff’s office monitored the stop at its Real Time Crime Center.
“With our technology, we were able to actually watch the traffic stop and arrest of the suspect two counties away on I-10," Staly said. "This is a great example of why we started an RTCC and invested in our technology. I’m very proud of our team and all the partners that assisted in bringing this case to a quick and safe reunion to the appropriate parent/guardian.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Father arrested after abducting 2 children from Palm Coast home
