Woman abducted for converting to LDS Church, police say

HOLLADAY — Salt Lake County sheriff's investigators Monday were looking for two Texas parents who reportedly abducted their daughter from her apartment, allegedly because they didn't approve of her recent conversion to the LDS Church.

Danielle Alonso, 19, was last seen Sunday about 12:30 p.m. when she answered her basement apartment door and her father, Daniel Alonso, grabbed her and immediately took her away, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson. Danielle Alonso's clothes, wallet, credit cards and cell phone were all left behind.

Danielle's roommate Sarah Schneider witnessed Danielle's abduction by her father immediately after she answered the door.

"Danielle and I are the best of friends," Schneider said Monday. "I am deeply concerned for her safety."

Daniel Alonso reportedly made a parting verbal jab at the roommate, believing she was responsible for his daughter's recent baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

By Monday afternoon, detectives had located the rental car that Daniel, 46, and Gloria Alonso, 48, were using when Danielle was taken from her apartment. The car was dropped off at the Denver International Airport. The keys were put in a drop box, Hutson said. There were no signs of Danielle Alonso or her parents, and no contact has been made with any of them since the apparent kidnapping.

Investigators have made numerous attempts to contact Daniel Alonso with no success. He has retained a lawyer, however, who told police the family was between Salt Lake City and their home in Corpus Christi, Texas, Monday afternoon and that Danielle was safe.

The incident began late last week when Danielle Alonso sent a letter to her parents telling them that she had converted, Hutson said. The letter reportedly caused her father to go into a rage.

"He called her and basically disowned her, telling her, 'I don't ever want to see you again,' " Hutson said.

Two days later, however, Daniel Alonso called back and told his daughter he would forgive her, but she needed to come home as soon as possible. But Danielle Alonso told her father she didn't want to return home, prompting her father to say he was going to come get her, Hutson said.

Zach Tautedi, who lives in the house above the basement apartment and who was there when Danielle Alonso was taken, said Danielle told him the day before that her father threatened to "grab her by her hair and drag her out of the apartment" when he arrived. Danielle Alonso called the sheriff's office saying she didn't feel safe due to past physical abuse, Hutson said. The last time Danielle talked to the sheriff's office, investigators told her to lock her doors and call 911 if her father showed up, Hutson said.