Congressman's Grandsons Found in Mexico After Alleged Abduction by Their Mother

Nearly four years after they were allegedly abducted by their mother, three grandsons of a Mission Viejo congressman have been found in Mexico and returned to the U.S., officials said.

Rep. Gary Miller praised U.S. and Mexican authorities on Thursday for tracking down the boys, who were allegedly spirited away by his son's ex-wife in 2007.

"My wife and I are extremely relieved that after more than three and a half years, our grandchildren have been found unharmed and returned safely to the United States,'' Miller said.

Jennifer Lopez Dejongh was apprehended Wednesday in Mexicali by Tijuana law enforcement authorities working with the FBI.

The 34-year-old was arrested on suspicion of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, according to the FBI. She is accused of abducting the three boys--an 11-year-old and 9-year-old twins--she had with Brian Miller, son of the congressman.

On Nov. 19, 2007, Brian Miller called Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies in Walnut to report that his ex-wife had picked up the boys Nov. 16, but had not returned them as expected, according to court papers.

A few days before she picked them up, a child-custody order was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court outlining shared custody between Brian Miller, Lopez Dejongh and the grandparents.

On the day Brian Miller called authorities, U.S. passports were issued in Los Angeles to Lopez Dejongh and her husband, George DeJongh, and the three children, according to the court papers. The passport applications indicated they intended to travel to Baja, Mexico, for a four-day trip beginning Dec. 13, 2007.

In February 2008, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune received a 16-page
handwritten letter signed by Jennifer Lopez Dejongh and postmarked from Machester, N.H., according to court papers. The letter indicated that she took the children to protect them from abuse, according to the papers.

Lopez Dejongh is expected to face federal charges from the U.S.
Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

After her arrest, Rep. Miller, a Republican, said, "My family is eternally grateful to the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Mexican authorities and all those whose hard work and unwavering dedication made this possible."

-- City News Service