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Father indicted on 32 charges in 2002 Alabama abduction

CLEVELAND, Ohio —A Cleveland man is facing multiple charges in connection with the 2002 abduction of his son from Vestavia Hills.

Bobby Hernadez, 53, was arrested Nov. 2 in Cleveland. Tuesday, Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Prosecutor Timothy McGinty announced indictments against Hernandez, which includes:

  • Six counts of kidnapping

  • Four counts of interference with custody

  • One count of forgery (uttering)

  • Five counts of fifth-degree felony forgery

  • Five counts of first-degree misdemeanor forgery.

  • 11 counts of tampering with records

Tampering and forgery charges are related to his falsification of records, including his son's birth certificate to enroll him in school, as well as his own driver's license and car title.

Julian Hernandez was reported missing in August 2002. Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls said the case broke when the boy was trying to apply for college when his Social Security number didn’t match his name.

Falls said a school counselor worked with the child to determine the reason, and that is when they found out that he was on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database.

Charges in Alabama are pending court action and extradition from Ohio.


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