UPDATE
Found safe: AMBER Alert canceled for 2 Utah children, suspect arrested in Mexico
Previous Coverage
A Utah father is facing felony charges after allegedly abducting his young sons and traveling to Mexico.
According to East Idaho News, 46-year-old Dane Richman has been charged with two counts of custodial interference, in connection with the disappearances of Will Richman, 1, and Wesley Richman, 10 months.
He’s accused of fleeing the country after missing a a custody deposition Friday. He also failed to show up Saturday to drop the children off with their mother.
Timeline
- May 11: Richman reportedly quits his job unexpectedly, citing ongoing legal battles concerning custody disputes over the children.
- May 16: Richman picks the children up from their mother’s home in Washington state. The pair share custody with the children, alternating weekends.
- May 18: Richman has service done on his black 2025 Toyota Camry, at a shop in Carlsbad, California.
- May 19: Richman’s phone pings at 4 p.m. near the Mexico border. Security footage shows his car crossing into the border that same day.
- May 22: Richman emails his attorney and fires him, stating services are on longer needed.
- May 22: The children’s mother contacted police to conduct a welfare check at Richman’s Saratoga Springs home after he failed to show for the hearing.
- May 22: Police arrive to find no one at Richman’s home, noting that “ the home appeared to look vacant from the outside.”
- May 23: The children’s mother calls authorities at 12:35 p.m. to report the children missing. Police issue an AMBER Alert to digital signs on Utah highways.
- May 24: Police issue an AMBER Alert to Utah cell phones.
“Given Dane’s financial situation as well as the fact that he appears to have abandoned his house to foreclosure, it seems that Dane has possibly been planning this attempt to kidnap the children several days if not multiple weeks in advance,” investigators stated, according to court.
Authorities previously stated that Richman is “seriously depressed, selling possessions,” and “facing financial stress.”
🚨 AMBER ALERT 🚨
Authorities are searching for brothers Wesley Dane Richman and 1-year-old Will Thomas Richman, who were allegedly taken by 46-year-old Dane Stephen Richman in Saratoga Springs, Utah, on May 16, 2026.⚠️ Authorities are deeply concerned for the children’s… pic.twitter.com/llYHLhNWxz
— The AWARE Foundation (@aware_the) May 24, 2026
Richman’s Camry is believed to have Utah plate A561HL. However, police said he may possibly be using a temporary tag, hidden from view.
Richman is described as standing 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and weighing around 195 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes.
Will is described as standing 2 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing around 31 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.
Wesley is described as standing 2 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing around 23 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.
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Anyone with information is urged to contact the Utah County Sheriff’s Office at 801-798-5600, or dial 911.
[Featured image: Dane Richman/FBI]
