Congressman's Grandchildren Abducted

November 20, 2007 permalink

The three children of Brian Miller have been abducted by their mother, who has withheld visitation from their father and grandfather. There is absolutely nothing unusual about this situation, repeated thousands of times, except that the bereft grandfather is Gary Miller, a US Congressman. We don't know yet whether the senior Mr Miller will use his influence to clean up family law for all families, or just his own. Later news reports indicate that an Amber alert has been issued in the case.

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Whittier, CA, 11/21/2007

Miller spokesman says congressman concerned

Police are still searching for Miller's grandchildren

By Frank C. Girardot, Staff Writer

The missing grandchildren of U.S. Rep Gary Miller, R-Brea have been identified as Brian, Evan and Christian Miller, officials said Tuesday.

DIAMOND BAR -- A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, said Tuesday the congressman and his wife are concerned about their missing grandchildren.

"This is a very private matter," said the spokesman Kevin McKee. "An investigation is underway and they are very concerned about what's happening to their grandkids. They are not going to get in the middle of this while their grandkids are unaccounted."

Meanwhile, the father of a woman suspected of abducting the the three children said Tuesday he has not spoken to his daughter for two days.

Jude Lopez, of Diamond Bar, said his daughter, Jennifer DeJongh, 30, is embroiled in a custody dispute with the congressman's son, Brian, and the congressman.

Jennifer and George DeJongh has been reported missing on Monday along with the three grandchildren of the congressman Gary Miller.

Lopez said his daughter, a former Miss Diamond Bar, is not likely to return anytime soon.

He said he has no idea where she has gone.

Lopez believes DeJongh's husband George is with her and the three children. Lopez identified the children as Brian, 8, and twins, Evan and Christian, 6. The children were reported missing at about 1:30 p.m Monday from their Diamond Bar residence in the 22000 block of Cello Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.

Lopez said the three children are students at Maple Hill Elementary School in Diamond Bar. Lopez produced court documents that seemed to indicate the congressman and his wife were awarded a 90-day visitation with the children that was set to begin on Sunday and last through February.

Previously, DeJongh, had sole custody of the children, and the congressman's son was allowed supervised visitation, Lopez said.

Lopez also said that Brian Miller had been convicted in 2000 in a domestic abuse case involving Jennifer DeJongh.

Published reports indicated that Jennifer DeJongh was driving this Lincoln Aviator, but the car was seen parked at a home in Whittier Tuesday morning. The car belongs to Jennifer DeJongh's mother-in-law, relatives said. (Staff Photo by by Jennifer McLain)

McKee could not confirm the allegation.

A Lincoln Aviator, reportedly belonging to DeJongh, which was wrongly cited by some news sources as being the subject of an amber alert, is currently parked in front of a Whittier home, according to DeJongh's relatives.

Gary Miller represents the 42nd Congressional District, which includes Diamond Bar, Brea, Chino and Chino Hills.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the boys is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at (909) 595-2264.

Source: Whittier Daily News

Addendum: Reunification took place nearly four years later.

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Mexican police find Calif. congressman's grandsons

The Associated Press, Published: Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 - 1:48 pm, Last Modified: Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 - 4:03 pm

TIJUANA, Mexico -- Police in Mexico have found the three grandchildren of a California congressman, nearly four years after their mother was believed to have abducted them.

Police in the border city of Tijuana said Thursday that they located the 11-year-old boy and 9-year-old twin boys and arrested Jennifer Dejongh. Police identified the mother by her maiden name, Jennifer Lopez.

The boys - the grandsons of Republican U.S. Rep. Gary Miller - were turned over to U.S. authorities at the border between the two countries early Thursday, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"My wife and I are extremely relieved that after more than 3 1/2 years our grandchildren have been found unharmed and returned safely to the United States," Miller said in a statement.

Dejongh, 34, was turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. She is being held on $500,000 bail, Whitmore said.

Dejongh was charged in November 2007 with three counts of child custody deprivation, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney's office. Dejongh is due to appear in court oFriday.

Robison said she did not know if Dejongh had an attorney.

The arrest was the result of collaboration among Mexican police, the FBI and Los Angeles County investigators. A U.S. man also was arrested in the Wednesday night operation, Mexican police said in a statement.

Dejongh had joint legal custody of the boys with Miller's son Brian Miller, but there was an ongoing legal dispute between the couple.

In November 2007, she was supposed to drop her three sons off at the congressman's house for an extended visit but did not take them there.

Gary Miller represents the 42nd Congressional District, which includes the communities of Diamond Bar, Brea, Chino and Chino Hills.

Source: Sacramento Bee