Rosa Chairez and, Enrique Felix with their children Justin and Enrique Felix. Credit: LAPD
Rosa Chairez and, Enrique Felix with their children Justin and Enrique Felix. Credit: LAPD
The parents accused of abducting their four children from Boyle Heights almost two weeks ago are in police custody today, after they surrendered at the U.S.-Mexico border early Sunday, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Enrique Felix and Rosa Chairez were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents on suspicion of kidnapping. According to reports, the couple contacted detectives at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck station.
Felix and Chairez allegedly took their children — Enrique, 7; Justin, 5; and 1-year-old twins Veronica and Janet — from Chairez’s mother’s home in Ramona Gardens on March 14.
Four days later, the four children were found safe after the children’s paternal grandmother called police to say that she was with the children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Before the alleged abduction, the children were taken into protective custody for alleged incidents of violence, and put into the care of the grandmother, police said. The parents were only permitted to have supervised visitation with the children in the presence of social workers.
My background: I was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, where I got my start in journalism by launching a community blog. Most recently, I worked at the Los Angeles Times and have spent most of my career covering local news in LA, with a focus on community-centered stories, Latino communities and mentoring emerging writers.
What I do: I lead coverage of Boyle Heights and East LA across all platforms to inform, connect and uplift our community. I spend my days listening, planning, editing and coordinating to make sure our stories reflect the community fairly, while supporting and mentoring my team of reporters and freelancers so they can grow along the way.
Why LA?: It’s home. It’s the sounds of Spanglish and other languages, the smell of tacos and kimchi, the way street art tells stories and how, even though I hate traffic, I love how the freeways can take me to the beach or the mountains on a whim.
The best way to contact me: My email is jessica.perez@boyleheightsbeat.org.
