The United States Attorney’s Office reported on Thursday that a California woman allegedly attempted to travel to Canada with a 12-year-old daughter over whom she did not have legal custody, leading to charges of international parental kidnapping.
According to officials, Mei Tian, 55, took an Uber with her daughter to the border on the evening of September 27 to enter Canada. An officer suspected that she had faked her husband’s signature on a letter she provided, claiming she had permission to bring her daughter to Canada.
Tian and her daughter had to re-enter the United States via the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls.
Records showed that Tian had no legal authority to remove her daughter from the country, a court order prohibited her from leaving, and the two had been “on the run” since August.
A further examination revealed that the girl’s father was her sole custodian. She was visiting her mother and was supposed to return to her father on August 11, but never did. Tian allegedly intended to bring her daughter to China after arriving in Canada.
Tian was accused in a criminal complaint of international parental kidnapping and making a false statement to Customs and Border Protection authorities. She faces up to eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
