Arrest warrants issued for father, grandfather of kidnapped Anaheim boys

Orange County law enforcement authorities issued arrest warrants Tuesday for a father and grandfather charged with abducting two small children from their mother in Anaheim.

Abraham Fernandez, 23, may have fled to Texas after taking his two children, ages 2 and 4, while their mother took out the trash Thursday outside her home, authorities said. The grandfather, Louis Mendoza Fernandez, 52, is accused of helping his son and and fleeing with the two boys, authorities said.

The men, Houston residents, are each charged with two felony counts of kidnapping and two felony counts of child abduction, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

The mother initially told police that her children, Jacob and Justin Quinones, were taken by two strangers. Detectives later discovered the men's true identities.

Two relatives -- Linda Fernandez and her husband David Nichols -- have been charged with harboring the men and boys in Monrovia the night of the abduction.

Anyone with information is asked to call Supervising Dist. Atty. Investigator Jaime Joyce at (714) 347-8560 or Anaheim police Det. Daron Wyatt at (714) 765-1434.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Jacob and Justin Quinones. Credit: KTLA and Anaheim Police Department

Comments

[Mary]

When authorities decide to step up and publicly ask anyone with information about crimes to call the police, should the police also publicly provide an
e-mail address as an option of contacting the PD?

If that's not a good idea, would the police please educate and explain why?

I do know that in the past child sex crime reports have disappeared from the APD's station. I don't know if that is still happening today. I sure hope not.

Police publicly providing an e-mail address might assist/help:

--people who do want their reports/information documented,
--promote better accountability of law enforcement for reports that are taken, and
--might prevent some victims, witnesses and people with information from falling into the justice systems cracks.

It might make it easier, not harder for victims, witnesses and people with information to come forward.

Could that option help save lives and prevent more crimes too?

I hope the kids are found safe and sound.

Mary Grant

[Mary]

I'm not surpised that kids are kidnapped in Anaheim/Orange County.

And I'm not surprised that there are those in positions of authority who harbor known and alleged perpetrators who commit crimes against kids.
Nor am I surprised that there are accessories to those crimes after the facts are discovered.

Just one example:

Ironically, the Anaheim PD station is located on Harbor Blvd. right around the corner from where the APD in 1989 discovered that an admitted child molester, Fr. John Lenihan, was working at St. Boniface Catholic Church.

Then criminal authorities did not to step up and publicly ask anyone with information to come forward.

Since then, the police report on Lenihan and his admission to child sex crimes on police tape recordings vanished from the PD's department.

Why do countless law makers in the US oppose victims who seek justice and to protect others by exposing/prosecuting their abusers and authorities who cover-up crimes in the civil courts?

Isn't that in the best interest of public safety too?

Is it not in the interest of the Church and State?

I hope that people with information about the abduction of these two boys in Anaheim will consider sending an e-mail too as an option to the APD and keep a copy of their e-mail.

It might save a life and/or prevent crimes in the future.

I suspect that some law enforcement don't like writing out a bunch of reports.

Could sending an e-mail of information help them out?