An Albuquerque native, Juan Escobar, has been reunited with his 14-year-old son, Andrew, in El Paso after a 3-year abduction. The reunion occurred after the El Paso Police Department took Andrew’s mother, Miriam Felix, into custody. Felix had changed her name to Sophie Shelton and Andrew’s name to Oliver Shelton, and the two had been traveling internationally.
Background of the Abduction
Escobar had won a custody battle in 2023, but Andrew went missing after a court-ordered overnight stay with his mother. Escobar hired a private investigator to find Andrew and discovered that Felix had changed their names and was living in the Fort Collins, Colorado area. The case was then treated as an abduction.
Andrew reportedly told authorities that he and his mother had traveled to several countries, including Austria, Albania, and Turkey, over the past three years. He also said he had been attending school online and had just finished eighth grade. Escobar expressed concern about his son’s mental health, stating that Andrew had been in ‘fight or flight’ mode for the past three years.
Escobar is now investigating how Andrew was able to travel internationally without being flagged as a missing person. He hopes that Felix will understand the gravity of her actions and seek help.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
