A Saratoga Springs man facing a custody dispute and severe financial troubles allegedly abducted his two young sons and fled to Mexico, according to Utah authorities.
The suspect, 46-year-old Dane Stephen Richman, was charged Sunday in 4th District Court with two counts of custodial interference, a third-degree felony, after failing to appear for a scheduled legal hearing.
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The Amber Alert, issued late Saturday and early Sunday, noted that the two children, aged 10 months and 22 months, are believed to be in imminent danger due to the suspect's unstable situation.
“There is concern for the safety and well-being of the children as the suspect has been seriously depressed, selling possessions, facing financial stress, and abandoned his home,” the Amber Alert states.
The investigation revealed that Richman had picked up his sons from their mother in Washington state on May 16 for a scheduled visitation, but he subsequently stopped communicating with his family, legal counsel, and law enforcement officers.
The children's mother contacted the Saratoga Springs police on Friday morning to request a welfare check after Richman missed a 10 a.
m. deposition for their custody hearing.
“No friends, family or other contacts have been able to reach Dane, including the police department attempts,” an arrest warrant states.
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According to court documents, investigators discovered that Richman's black 2025 Toyota Camry was serviced in Carlsbad, California, on Monday, May 18, before his cellphone location and vehicle tracked across the Mexican border on Tuesday, May 19.
“As detectives have continued to investigate this case, they have learned that (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 court documents.
Richman also abruptly resigned from his position at Fibertel LLC on May 11, with his employer noting that the suspect had become increasingly erratic over the past six months due to legal battles.
“Given Dane’s financial situation as well as the fact that he appears to have abandoned his house to foreclosure, it seems that Dane has possibly been planning this attempt to kidnap the children several days if not multiple weeks in advance,” investigators wrote in the court documents.
The missing children are identified as Wesley Dane Richman, a 10-month-old boy, and Will Thomas Richman, a 22-month-old boy, both described as having blonde or strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes.
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Saratoga Springs detectives are currently working with international authorities to have the Amber Alerts distributed and shared throughout Mexico as the search continues.
