Child Abduction In Mission Viejo: Father And Son Possibly In Mexico, OCSD Says

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A Mission Viejo boy never made it home on Wednesday, after his father picked him up at his Linda Vista Elementary School, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.

Following an Amber Alert for Jaime Juerta, and his father' vehicle and hours of searching later, investigators announced at 10:30 a.m. Thursday that they have contacted missing father, Jaime Zepeda. His son, 10-year-old Jaime Huerta, was reported as "safe" to OCSD investigators. However, the pair were reported also as currently out of the country.

"We believe the pair to be in Mexico,'' Orange County Sheriff's Department Information Officer Lane Lagaret reported over Twitter.

The father is a Mexican citizen. OCSD as of this report has not given any reason reported for why the father removed his son from the United States. Investigators spoke with both Zepeda and his son on Thursday, according to Lagaret.

"Jaime Juerta said he was fine with his dad," Lagaret said. "He said he was fine, he sounded fine. We don't believe that the boy is in any danger."

The multiple Mission Viejo school lockdowns from Wednesday, including Linda Vista Elementary School where the boy attended, were unrelated in the father's removal of his son from his mother's custody, Orange County Sheriff's Department Lt. Lane Lagaret said.

On Wednesday, Jaime Zepeda had picked up his son around 1 p.m. Wednesday from Linda Vista Elementary School in Mission Viejo and was supposed to drop the boy off at his mother's home later that day. When he never showed up at the mother's home, authorities sought public help to find the child.

Jaime Zepeda, 33, was reported to have picked up his 10-year-old son Jaime Huerta around 1 p.m. Wednesday from Linda Vista Elementary School at 25200 block of Pericia Dr. in Mission Viejo, OCSD said.

"He was supposed to drop the boy off at his mother's home at 7 p.m. but never showed," Lt. Wayne Rehnelt of the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.

The boy's mother believed Zepeda is headed to Mexico with the boy, he said.

The child, Jaime Huerta, is Hispanic, 4 feet 1, and 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing black Adidas shorts, a gray sweater, black tennis shoes and carrying a blue, gray and black backpack.

Zepeda is Hispanic, 5 feet 3 and 160 pounds. He is believed to be driving a gold 2002 Ford F-150, California license plate of 8U71467, or a 1997 Toyota Celica with California plate 6FGN527, according to Rehnelt. An Amber Alert for the child was released late Wednesday night.

Anyone with information on Jaime Huerta's whereabouts was urged to call the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 647-7000.

OCSD Photo