BOCA RATON, Fla. — Several hours after a Missing Child Alert was issued for a missing Boca Raton boy, city police said Friday night that the child has been located in good condition, and the father was arrested and charged with interference with custody.
Boca Raton police said Vinie Ristick abducted his 18-month-old son Gabriel Ristick from Boca Raton on Thursday night. He was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.
The boy was found in Greenacres on Friday afternoon in a search by Boca Raton police, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
The child appeared to be in good condition but was taken to a local hospital for a precautionary examination, police said. The mother and child have since been reunited.
Police said the child’s mother took him to the Town Center at Boca Raton mall, located in the 6000 block of west Glades Road, to meet with Ristick after he had not seen the child in over two months.
When the mother went to order coffee, Ristick left with the child without the mother’s knowledge or consent, police said.
Surveillance video showed Ristick and the child leaving the area in a vehicle.
Ristick had never taken care of the child who suffers from a condition that requires daily medication, according to the mother as relayed at authorities.
The mother said he contacted Ristick, who said he was not going to give the child back and he would retaliate against her if she contacted police. He stopped stopped responding to her.
The pair reportedly were traveling in a gray Chrysler Town & County minivan with an Illinois license plate DQ83169.
UPDATE! The child is safe. This is a cancellation to the Florida Missing Child Alert that was activated on 12/23/2022 for GABRIEL RISTICK. The child is safe.If you would like further information, please call the Boca Raton Police Department at 561-368-6201. Thank you for sharing! pic.twitter.com/d4Dw8pkaNh
— FDLE (@fdlepio) December 23, 2022
