SANFORD, Fl. – A boy who was missing from Texas since 2017, was found unharmed in Florida with his non-custodial father authorities said.
On Saturday, March 30, 2018, at around 6:30 a.m. Sanford police officers found a suspicious vehicle in the area of Seminole Boulevard and San Juan Avenue, When they checked the identity of the two occupants, they learned one was 52-year-old Kenneth Graham and his son, 9-year-old Joshua Graham, both of Texas.
Through investigation, it was learned that Kenneth Graham left Texas with Joshua at the end of 2017. When he left, he failed to tell his live in wife. Joshua’s mother was granted sole custody of the boy months later in February 2018. On March 26, 2019, over a year later, Houston, Texas law enforcement filed Joshua missing and abducted by his non-custodial parent.
“Regardless of the circumstances, the feelings of loss and devastation are indescribable when any child is taken from a parent,” said Chief Cecil Smith. “The officers and investigators involved in this case are delighted to have played a significant role in reuniting this mother with her child after two long years. I am proud that the officers responding to this call quickly identified that something didn’t seem right, and those instincts led to this happy conclusion.”
Joshua Graham is in the custody of Child Protective Services and he will be reunified with his mother. Kenneth Graham is not in custody at this time, the State of Texas may file criminal charges at a later date.Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding this incident, to contact Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800 423-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimeline.org. Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips to Crimeline that lead to solving a felony case are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 dollars.
