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Published: 2012-12-10 16:45:00
Updated: 2012-12-10 19:20:57

Dad who fled with son to Mexico gets prison time


Edwin Gonzales
Edwin Gonzales
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A man convicted in October of kidnapping his 2-year-old and fleeing with him to Mexico six years ago was sentenced Monday to five to six years in prison.

Jorge Aguilera was found guilty Oct. 27 of three counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count each of first-degree burglary and second-degree kidnapping in the Oct. 1, 2006, abduction of his son, Edwin Gonzales.

Sentencing, however, was delayed until Monday, because, at the time of Aguilera's conviction, authorities still had not been able to find the boy. Prosecutors had hoped Aguilera would reveal his son's whereabouts in return for leniency in sentencing.

Edwin, now 9, was finally reunited with his mother, Florentina Coria, last month.

Chatham County Assistant District Attorney Kayley Taber had asked Superior Court Judge Elaine Bushfan for a minimum prison sentence of 20 years for his actions.

"She has had no contact with her child the whole time," Taber said. "You don't punish a mother by taking her child. That's not appropriate. That's not what we do in a civilized society."

Authorities say Aguilera and several men broke into Coria's home wearing ski masks and latex gloves, tied her up with duct-tape, took the boy and threatened to kill him if she called police.

"This is not a child custody case," she said. "This is a domestic violence case."

Taber said Aguilera used his other family members and friends in Mexico to move Edwin around for the past six years without any education or any dental or medical care.

"He is basically functioning on the level of a kindergartener," Taber said. "He can count to 40, say his ABCs. He cannot read."

During sentencing Monday, Coria said her son is in school and working to transition to a new family and life that he is just getting to know.

"He thought I gave him away," she said through a translator. "He's suffering."

Coria said her son is sad and that she is working to get him into therapy.

"I want what's best for him," she said. "I'm working with him right now, trying to forget what happened."


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Why was the father charged??? Since they were not married, they both had joint custody. Yea, he was a sorry father for not providing education, but, in many countries, even that is not forced. He may have been following the law of his Barrio. Medical is the same. We take that all our rules apply, they do not. I personally think that its time to take the English language back.

She has been here well over and needs an interperter!! Call the cops for help but she does not want to learn the languague. How can she help her son? Since he is a US citizen. Take him away from her.

" Get a grip people. No official language exists at the federal level. This country is a melting pot and that is a reason why it is so great." self-advertiser

This country has become a garbage pail and it's no longer great.

I may be a little prejudiced, because I AM an interpreter in the courtroom, thanks to the Title VI Act of 1964 and most recently, a DOJ filing against the State of NC for not providing ENOUGH interpreters.

Your job should not be necessary at all. You could find work for diplomats etc but no way should we have to spend money on criminals who can not speak english.

as long as our govt allows the criminal immigrant population to grow and thrive in this country we will continue to see crime such as this and much worse. these criminals have no respect for us or our culture , they are here for one thing money , and all the freebies our tax dollars can pay for.

Someone on golo gets it!

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