The father and grandmother of Jorge "JoJo" Morales, the Miami boy with autism who was found last month in Canada after being kidnapped months before by his father, were extradited to South Florida to face charges in the incident.
Jorge Gabriel Morales, 45, was booked into the Miami-Dade jail Wednesday on charges including interference with custody, removing a child from the state, aggravated assault, child abuse and attempted false imprisonment, records showed.
Earlier Wednesday, his mother and JoJo's grandmother, 69-year-old Lilliam Morales, was booked into jail and appeared in a Miami-Dade court on charges of interference with custody and removing a child from the state. She was ordered held without bond.
"I didn't know. I was sick to my stomach," said Yanet Leal Concepcion, JoJo's mother. "I was not prepared for that."
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JoJo had been missing since Aug. 27 after his father failed to return him to his mother as part of a custody agreement, authorities said.
A missing person alert for JoJo was issued naming the father and his mother. Both were taken into custody by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Oct. 30 after JoJo was found, police said.
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Jojo was found in New Brunswick, Canada, after a tipster spotted the boy with his father at a Walmart.
The tipster called police from a Walmart in Moncton saying he saw the father and son shopping, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"I didn't want anybody to be in jail," Concepion said. "This is a consequence of their actions. And I honestly feel safer. I feel like me and my son can have a normal life."
Private investigator Joe Carrillo said they believed JoJo's life was in imminent danger before he was found.
"He was living with the windmills, closer to God, is what he was saying," Carrillo said. "He does not know what that means, but we do. And yes, we don't believe he would have lived another two years with his dad."
For more than two months, Concepcion said she had been living in a nightmare.
"I thought it is really good or really bad,” Concepcion said shortly after JoJo was found.
JoJo and his mother were reunited Nov. 2 at Miami International Airport.
"I missed you so much," Concepcion said through tears and joyful laughter after JoJo ran into her arms.
"I'm sorry, I can't stop crying. I'm so happy," Concepcion said before reporters Tuesday night. "I missed that boy so much."
In honor of her son's safe return, Concepcion said she was going to recreate Halloween and her birthday, which he missed while he was gone.
