Cornelius J. Smith, 28, is expected to be transported back to Maryland after fleeing to New York City with his young daughter, with whom he has no legal rights to her or to visit her.
Smith, who has 11 different addresses listed, was arrested and charged with abducting and harboring a child and hiding her out of state. He faces 20 years in prison on the first charge and three years and/or a fine of $ 2,500 on the out of state charge.
According to Montgomery County District Court’s statement of charges, the foster parents of a girl who will be two years old next month reported to police that the girl had not been returned following a weekend visit with her biological mother that was to end Nov. 28.
Montgomery County Police began searching and used social media in that search.
Police from Washington, D.C. told Montgomery County Police that they had arrested the mother, who apparently had taken their daughter to see her father, when she got into an altercation with Smith. She has an active protection order prohibiting him from seeing her. The mother gave DC police a false name.
Police then learned Smith had fled to New York City with his daughter, and with the assistance of police there, found the two at Allies Place Shelter in the Bronx, according to court records. He was charged there with failing to register as a sex offender.
Smith told police he knew he wasn’t supposed to have his daughter but that he did want the system to have her, according to court records.
Smith waived extradition and is expected to be brought to Maryland on Tuesday.
