GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — The father of a 15-year-old girl who went missing from Monterey Park for nearly a week and was later found safe outside the ABC7 offices in Glendale was arrested Friday on child abduction and other charges.
Jeffrey Chao also faces charges of conspiracy and falsifying a police report in connection with the disappearance of Allison Jillian Chao, who went missing July 16 and was found safe Tuesday, according to Monterey Park police.
“The dedicated efforts of our police department and collaboration with other agencies were crucial in resolving this critical situation and ensuring the safety of Allison Chao,” Monterey Park Police said in a statement. “The Monterey Park Police Investigative Bureau is still investigating this incident and will have no further comment at this time. We want to assure the Monterey Park community that our police department remains resolute in its commitment to the safety and well-being of our residents, and we appreciate your continued cooperation during this investigation.”
A security rep told ABC7 a woman spotted the girl walking and, realizing she was a missing minor, called police.
“There’s no way that’s a missing person,” Rachel recalled thinking in an interview with ABC7. “Something in my head was saying, ‘That’s her.'”
We’re hearing for the first time from the woman who found the missing 15-year-old Monterey Park girl outside the ABC7 studios.
Rachel called police and followed Allison in her car for several blocks until she arrived at the ABC7 studios, where Glendale police arrived shortly thereafter.
“What immediately struck me was how calm she was. She was calm, very articulate and very clear about what the situation was,” Rachel said. “She was very clear that ‘I came to ABC to tell my story. No one else is going to listen to me.'”
The arrest of the girl’s father is a major development in a case that has rocked Southern California. Allison’s parents, Jeffrey and Allison Chao, are in the midst of a divorce and child custody battle in which her mother recently won full custody of the girl.
City News Service contributed to this report.
In Development: More details will be added to this report as they become available.
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