By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Mr.
Seth Derish reported to A.M. Costa
Rica in November 2018 that the
agents of Judicial Investigation
Organization and the International
Criminal Police continue to ask for
help to find Arden Oliver Fuss, 7
years old, who may be living in
Costa Rica with his mother Aleidria
Riverson Lichau, 40 years old.
Arden Fuss was sent off on vacation
to the Oregon coast on summer 2018
with his mother, Ms. Riversong
Lichau.
Fuss and Lichau were estranged when
the boy and his mother left on June
20, 2018, but Mr. Fuss had no idea
that this would be the last time he
would see his son.
The boy was apparently kidnapped by
his mother and spirited off to Costa
Rica via Jamaica, arriving on July
4, 2018, according to immigration
authorities.
Although child's passport was in the
father's possession Ms. Lichau was
able to get a new one from the U.S.
State Department and fled the U.S.,
avoiding an evidentiary hearing on
the child's custody scheduled in a
New York court on August 6, 2018.
The Fuss boy was supposed to be
returned to his father on July 8,
2018, to complete his summer
vacation in New York and attend
school in the fall.
Due to Ms. Lichau's actions, there
is an international order to find
the child filed with Interpol and
also a warrant for Lichau's arrest
issued by the New York court.
There is also an active kidnapping
case filed with the National
Children's Trust (PANI) as they are
the "central authority" under The
Hague Convention, of which Costa
Rica is a signatory and thus, have
to recognize any U.S. custody
orders.
According to a private investigator,
Mr. Fuss, a New York photographer,
had a great relationship with his
son but not with the child's mother.
This caused a custody battle which
ultimately resulted in Mr. Fuss
receiving both legal and physical
custody of the child at the August 6
evidentiary hearing in New York, a
hearing that Ms. Lichau apparently
fled to avoid.
The investigator said he found
information and evidence from both
expert witnesses and law enforcement
personnel and that a New York court
determined that Lichau had abused
her son and that he would be in
imminent danger every day he
remained with his mother.
Ms. Lichau had filed three claims of
abuse against Mr. Fuss but an
investigation determined that the
accusations were "unfounded."
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Judicial
Investigation
Organization courtesy
photo
The boy was apparently
kidnapped by his
mother and spirited
off to Costa Rica via
Jamaica, arriving on
July 4, 2018,
according to
immigration
authorities.
Mr. Fuss said that
Lichau is a member of
the Seventh Day
Adventists, an
evangelical church,
which has facilities
throughout Costa Rica
and the world.
Though there is no
evidence that the church
is harboring Ms. Lichau,
it was suggested that
this would have been a
good place for her to
seek help in Costa Rica
as she has never been to
the country and speaks
limited Spanish.
Attempts by the father's
representatives to reach
out to the church have
so far met with little
success.
Interpol and the
Judicial Investigation
Organization agents are
requesting the public's
help with the
investigation. Should
anyone see either the
boy or his mother,
contact Interpol Costa
Rica at 800-800-0645 or
dial 9-1-1.
If you have any leads,
call 506-8881-3100 or
email
Cr-Inv@privateeyes.com.
The staff at AM Costa
Rica calls on readers to
share this story with
their contacts so that
the child can be found.
----------------
Should the U.S. State
Department increase
security to prevent
people with restrictions
from leaving that
country? We would like
to know your thoughts on
this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
*Link to
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