SOUTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities said that a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing from South Miami has been turned in by her mother and is safe.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Florida Missing Child Alert for Shea Eminhizer, Saturday night. Investigators said the toddler was last seen on June 24 in the area of the 6500 block of Southwest 78th Terrace.
According to the 3-year-old girl’s father, Shea was in the company of her mother, 41-year-old Christine Betancourt. However, the mother’s attorney on Tuesday said it was a false report and they are going to sue for all of the claims.
“The child was never missing. The child was always with her mother. It was never reported that she was with her own mother,” aid Sam Rabin, the mother’s attorney. “She was never armed. She has a gun that she owns, that she has never taken possession of. She bought it and left it at a gun range. She’s never even possessed a firearm. So the report was false. The father knew that she was going on vacation.”
Betancourt said her friends passed on the FDLE message and she arranged to hand over her daughter to the father, Jeremy Eminhizer.
“The father filed a false missing persons report. It’s actually what happened. He knew I was leaving on vacation and he filed a false missing person’s report to force me into this situation and to punish me,” said Betancourt.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities said that the girl was turned in to police by Betancourt.
Betancourt and Jeremy are going through a contentious divorce and the emotional custody battle over their 3-year-old daughter reached a boiling point when, last week, a Miami-Dade judge granted an emergency motion to allow the father to pick up the daughter.
Lawyers from each side responded to the motion with several motions of their own.
On Tuesday afternoon, her father was very happy to have his daughter back in his arms, but he refused to comment on alleged claims of abuse.
“I’m just thankful to have her home. She’s safe and I’m happy to have her home with her family. Thank you all for all your coverage, thank you for putting the word out for us. We’re very grateful and thankful for everything you guys have done, so thank you,” said Eminhizer. “I prefer not to comment at this time. Just thankful to have her home. She’s safe.”
Betancourt’s lawyer said none of this should’ve happened, even if the judge warned that if some time-sharing agreement wasn’t implemented, the child could be removed on Saturday. The judge’s deadline was the same day the missing child alert was posted.
“The court’s decision, we honor that decision, that’s why we brought the child here today and we hope an appellate court will reverse it,” said Rabin.
No charges were filed on Tuesday in connection to this case.
Lawyers handling the family aspect of the case filed an emergency motion on Tuesday and the Third District Court of Appeals responded by giving Eminhizer until Monday to respond to the motion. Betancourt’s attorneys are expected to speak to the media on Wednesday.
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