Prosecutors say a Georgia woman was charged with child abduction in Lake County after she failed to comply with a judge’s order to turn over her child to its father.
Brittany Allard, 37, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged with one count of child abduction, a Class 4 felony.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Caitlin Valiulis said there is a divorce case pending involving Allard and her husband in Lake County Circuit Court.
The husband has primary custody of the couple’s daughter.
An agreement allowed Allard to have parenting time with her daughter during the child’s spring break, which was from March 24 to April 2, Valiulis said during a bond hearing.
Allard picked up the child on March 24 at the Gurnee Police Department.
Allard was supposed to return the child to Gurnee on April 2, Valiulis said. The child lives with her father and attends school in Gurnee.
The father had not spoken to his daughter after Allard failed to return the child to him on April 2.
Allard claimed she had a medical issue and could not drive the child back to Illinois from Georgia, Valiulis said.
Allard reportedly called the child’s school that the child would not be at school after spring break.
She also told the child’s teacher her child would not be attending the school anymore and would instead be homeschooled, Valiulis said.
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had also not been able to contact Allard.
The father filed an emergency motion in the family case on April 10, Valiulis said.
A judge ordered Allard to return the child to the father. Allard was ordered to bring the child to authorities in DeKalb County, Georgia by the evening of April 12.
Valiulis said the father flew to Georgia and went to the sheriff’s office in DeKalb County but Allard and the child did not show up to the station.
Allard’s phone was traced to a specific area in Georgia and officers responded to an address but did not locate the woman, Valiulis said.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Allard held on a $150,000 bond.
Allard was released from the Lake County Jail on Thursday after posting 10% of her bond.
A bond review hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon.