A mom to two missing Utah boys has issued a desperate plea amid fears they may have been snatched by their dad, whom authorities have previously described as “seriously depressed.”
Lizzie Tomich’s voice cracked in a social media video as she begged for the safe return of Will Richman, 1, and 10-month-old Wesley, both of whom were last seen on May 16.
“Please, like, share, repost everything,” she said in the video.
Tomich co-parents her two children with Dane Stephen Richman, who lives in Utah, and he collected the brothers from her Sheldon, Washington, home as part of a routine custody exchange but he failed to return them a week later.
Richman, 46, reportedly told Tomich he and the boys were camping, but he pulled out of a deposition custody hearing on Friday, raising alarm.
A welfare check was carried out at Richman’s Saratoga Springs home before authorities issued an Amber Alert.
“At that point, we called the police to do a welfare check on him,” Tomich said.
“When the police arrived, we learned that the house was vacant and there were things being moved out.
“There was no car and Dane and the boys were not home. When we learned this, we knew something was wrong.”
Tomich shared messages she exchanged with Richman, where she asked, “Where are you? Where are the kids right now?”
“With me, I’m driving,” Richman supposedly replied before saying they were “camping.”
Tomich then revealed she arrived at the supposed meet-up location 15 minutes earlier than planned.
“As the time approached, I began calling and texting him asking for an ETA. He did not respond. At, approximately 12: 01 p.m. is when I began to panic and when we called police,” she said.
Tomich’s family lawyer, Brittany Skinner, then interjected, adding, “After further investigation with the police, we learned that Dane’s quit his job.
“He’s sold almost all of his possessions. He has left with almost everything he has, with the clear intention of not returning with these children.”
Tomich’s voice cracked as she begged, “Please, like, share, repost everything, share with your family, share with your friends, anybody you know, they could be anywhere. Please,” revealing that her sons have “infectious smiles.. dimples and blue eyes.”
Richman has been charged with custodial interference, a third-degree felony, but authorities fear he may have crossed into Mexico, KTVX reported.
Cops suspect Richman was likely in Carlsbad, California, on May 18 – and crossed the border the following day.
Authorities said “There is concern for the safety and well-being of the children as the suspect has been seriously depressed, selling possessions, facing financial stress, and abandoned his home,” as they issued the Amber Alert.
But when cops were carrying out the welfare check, it’s since emerged they stopped a “moving truck,” Katie Walters, the brothers’ aunt told KTVX.
“He had completely moved out of his house that the children were supposed to be living in, and the moving truck was just actually pulling out of the driveway, and the police were able to stop the moving truck, and they asked what’s going on,” she said.
“They said they didn’t even know because they never even saw the owner of the home while they were there. They only were communicating via text.”
Addressing Richman, she said, “To Dane, just please be safe. We love you and we love those kids.”
Richman is reportedly driving a black Toyota Camry that has a Utah license plate A561HL, but cops suspect the car is a newer model and it could have a temporary tag.
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