Arkansas State Police rescues 5-year-old boy abducted from Pontiac by his father

Father kidnapped son while visiting his mother

Arkansas State Police rescued a 5-year-old boy from Pontiac after police say his father kidnaped him.

Daniel Ohno, 40, of Houston, Texas, was arrested Saturday (Feb. 3) in Little Rock, Arkansas after allegedly kidnapping his son.

Police say Ohno doesn’t have custody of his son but took him while visiting the boy and his mother in Pontiac.

Investigators say Ohno fled in the mother’s car with the child inside.

“It’s one of those worst nightmares obviously for a parent and especially concerning for us that he hadn’t been involved in the child’s life at all and how much care and concern does he have for the child,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office tracked the car’s location to Arkansas and alerted police to the situation.

Dash camera video shows Arkansas State Police gently box in the vehicle, taking the boy into their arms and arresting the father.

The boy’s mother flew to Arkansas and was reunited with her son the same day.

“Everybody took a deep breath and was super excited to have that conclude safely,” Bouchard said.

Investigators are in the process of extraditing Ohno back to Oakland County.


About the Author

Jacqueline Francis is an award-winning journalist who joined the WDIV team in September 2022. Prior to Local 4, she reported for the NBC affiliate in West Michigan. When she’s not on the job, Jacqueline enjoys taking advantage of all the wonders Michigan has to offer, from ski trips up north to beach days with her dog, Ace.

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