Q: My wife left me with my 5-year-old in the middle of the night while I was out of town
Is it a crime to take a child without the knowledge or consent of one parent across state lines?
My wife left me with my 5-year-old in the middle of the night while I was out of town with the intent of abandoning our marriage. She took my child to WA to my brother's house from our home in FL and she says she is coming back to FL in two months but not to hour house.
Is this a crime that she did and can she be arrested in WA if I call the police there?
A: She may take the child in the absence of a court order restricting her ability to do so. Sounds like you are still married, if you decide to file for a divorce you may seek sole parenting and/or majority time share and use her actions as evidence of her intent to fail to share the child.
A: No, it's not a crime if she didn't hide the whereabouts of the child. You have six months from when they left to file in Florida for custody or visitation; otherwise exclusive jurisdiction will be in the Washington courts.
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