The father of a 15-year-old girl whose disappearance made national headlines has been arrested and faces charges of child abduction, conspiracy and falsifying a police report.
On Friday, the Monterey Park Police Department announced that Jeffrey Chao had been arrested following an “extensive investigation.”
Chao’s daughter, Alison, was reported missing July 16 after leaving her father’s home in the 200 block of North Ynez Avenue.
A missing person investigation was opened after she reportedly failed to arrive at her aunt’s home in San Gabriel, about three miles away.
That sparked a massive citywide search for the teenager, which involved volunteers sweeping neighborhoods and handing out missing-persons flyers, as well as multiple media appearances, statements and tearful calls from her mother, Annie Chao.
Alison was finally found safe Tuesday after being found outside the gate of the local ABC affiliate in Glendale.
Since then, questions have emerged about the true nature of the teenager’s disappearance.
Alison’s parents are divorced, leading to speculation that her alleged disappearance was the result of a custody dispute. Annie Chao was granted “sole physical custody” of Alison, in the interest of her mental health and well-being, according to Emily Robinson, an attorney who identified herself as Alison’s court-appointed attorney.
Videos posted on social media show police officers at Jeffrey Chao’s home, urging Alison to come with them, with a frantic female voice in the background refusing. The video was reportedly filmed by Alison the day before she disappeared.
In a statement released earlier this week, Robinson acknowledged several social media posts that she called “misleading and inaccurate.”
“The posts are full of false statements and distortions and have hindered the investigation into Alison’s whereabouts and the efforts of her family and police to ensure her safe return,” Robinson said.
After Alison was found safe, her mother released a statement reiterating Robinson’s previous comments about the social media posts, which she said contained “uninformed opinions, speculation and hurtful comments about me and my family.”
“There is a lot of misinformation that has been posted online about Alison and my family by a small number of people,” Chao said in the statement. “If you want to help Alison, you need to stop posting about this.”
She continued her statement by describing her daughter as a “young girl,” adding that her feelings about her parents’ divorce were “understandably complicated.”
Both parents appeared at a joint news conference Tuesday after Alison was declared safe.
While details about Jeffrey Chao’s arrest are limited, the charges filed by police imply that investigators believe he may have played a role in Alison’s reported disappearance.
Police said the investigation was ongoing and they would make “no further comment at this time.”
While the investigation into Alison Chao’s disappearance, real or not, remains active, anyone with information is asked to contact the Monterey Park Police Department by email or by calling 626-307-1444.
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