DOJ says California resident Shana Gaviola and Missouri resident Julio Sandoval, formerly dean of Agape Boarding School in Cedar County, made plans for Gaviola’s son to be transported from California against his will.
But those plans violated a lawful order, prosecutors say. In 2020, the boy petitioned California courts for emancipation from Gaviola. He also obtained a domestic violence protection order against her.
Federal court records say individuals acting on behalf of Gaviola and Sandoval found the minor child at a Fresno, California business in summer 2021. They handcuffed him and forced him into a vehicle.
The indictment says the child remained handcuffed during a 27-hour drive from California to Stockton, where Agape Boarding School is located. The boy was retrieved eight days later by his father.
If Sandoval and Gaviola are convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors say.
