Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Two missing Utah children were found safe in San Felipe, Mexico on Tuesday.
- Their father, Dane Richman, was arrested on charges of custodial interference in Utah.
- The Amber Alert was issued over the weekend after a custody dispute and cross-border escape, police say.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The two children who went missing and prompted a weekend Amber Alert have been found safe in San Felipe, Mexico, and their father was arrested, Saratoga Springs police announced Wednesday morning.
The children were found in San Felipe, Mexico, on Tuesday evening, police said.
The father of the children, Dane Stephen Richman, 46, was arrested and is charged in Utah's 4th District Court with two counts of custodial interference, a third-degree felony.
An Amber Alert was issued late Saturday and early Sunday, stating that Wesley Richman, 10 months old, and Will Richman, 22 months old, were taken by their father following a custody dispute. He had allegedly abandoned his home, quit his job, sold most of his possessions, fired his attorney and said he would not be appearing for a scheduled custody hearing.
The mother of the two boys, Lizzie Tomich, who lives in Washington state, appeared in a three-minute video posted on TikTok on Tuesday with her attorney, pleading for information that could help find the boys. She said Dane Richman was less than forthcoming about his whereabouts, saying he and the boys were "camping."
"Please like, share, repost everything, share with your family, share with your friends, anybody you know, they could be anywhere," Tomich said in the video. Her attorney said the custody agreement did not allow him to take the boys across state lines.
Tomich spoke about the boys' "infectious smiles," dimples and blue eyes, and said she hoped they are "giggly" and laughing, wherever they were.
Police learned that on Monday, May 18, Richman's black 2025 Toyota Camry had some service done in Carlsbad, California, about 50 miles from the southern U.S. border. Investigators also obtained surveillance images that identified Richman in Southern California, according to the charges. Richman's cellphone location was last reported near the Mexican border at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, and the vehicle crossed the border into Mexico later that day, the charges say.
Richman unexpectedly quit his job on May 11. His boss said he told him he was unable to continue working because of ongoing legal battles with his ex-girlfriend over the custody of his children. The boss also noted that Richman "had originally been a quality hard working productive employee, but that over the last six months had become less reliable and more erratic," court documents state.
Detectives learned Richman's "financial situation was dire, including being upside down on his mortgage after it appears that he took out an additional line of credit on the home equity," according to the charges.
This story will be updated. To be notified about updates, please click Follow This Story below on the KSL app.
