Mother Who Became Fugitive After Taking Her Children Overseas in Violation of Paternal Custody Rights Returned to U.S.

A Slovakian native who became a fugitive after taking her children overseas in violation of court custody orders was returned to the United States today to face prosecution, announced Bill Lewis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, and Chief Charlie Beck of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Maria Pfeifer, age 32, a former resident of Los Angeles, is suspected of taking her children out of the United States in violation of court ordered custody terms in Los Angeles. According to LAPD detectives investigating the case, Pfeifer took the victims to the Czech Republic and Slovakia in June 2012 and did not return the following month, as scheduled, in July 2012. Pfeifer’s failure to return the victims violated the parental rights of the victims’ respective fathers, according to detectives. FBI assistance was requested when investigators determined that Pfeifer intended to remain overseas with the victim children.

In August 2013, LAPD detectives obtained an arrest warrant, and Pfeifer was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney with two felony counts of child detention with right to custody, a violation of California Penal Code 278.5. In September 2013, Pfeifer was further charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP), a violation ofTitle18-United States Code Section 1073. The court later granted the victims’ fathers full custody of their children while Pfeifer was a fugitive.

Pfeifer is known to have spent time in her native Slovakia, Germany, and France, and investigators concentrated their focus in those areas, among others, where leads were generated. Earlier this year, a tip was received on a social website operated by one of the victim fathers that led investigators to a location in France where Pfeifer had been residing with the victim children.

Agents with the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office collaborated with the FBI’s Legal Attaché stationed in Paris, France, and French law enforcement authorities to recover the victim children.

In December 2013, Pfeifer was arrested at the FBI’s request by French law enforcement officers without incident in Divonne-les-Bains, France. Shortly thereafter, the victim children were reunited with their fathers and returned to the United States.

At her required court appearance in France, Pfeifer was granted bail and had remained overseas since her arrest. Pfeifer was returned to the United States this afternoon, escorted by FBI agents, and was turned over to detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department upon arriving to Los Angeles International Airport.

The arrest of Pfeifer and successful reunification of the victims with their fathers is the result of the joint investigation and international cooperation between, the LAPD, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Paris, France, and French law enforcement officials.

The federal complaint charging UFAP is expected to be dismissed and Pfeifer will be prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.