Parents not charged in LDS convert's case
Prosecutors don't plan to file charges against the couple who picked up their 19-year-old daughter and drove her to their home in Texas, allegedly because she had converted to the LDS Church.
Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Alicia Cook announced the decision in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
"Based upon the information available at this time, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has decided not to file charges against Daniel and Gloria Alonso," the statement said.
The statement also said the defense attorney's office would make no further comment on the issue.
Last month, the Alonsos flew to Salt Lake City and showed up at their daughter's apartment in Holladay. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said Danielle Alonso answered the door, believing she could talk herself out of the situation. Instead, police believed Daniel Alonso grabbed his daughter just after she opened the door and took her in his rental car.
A couple of days later, Danielle Alonso was located at her parents' house in Rockport, Texas.
Danielle Alonso reportedly had been worried that her father would come to her apartment, because she had sent him a letter a week earlier telling him that she had become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the sheriff's office said. She had even called the sheriff's office and spoken with a detective prior to her parents traveling to Utah.
The Alonsos have denied any wrongdoing and traveled back to Utah last month in order to be interviewed by the sheriff's office. A few days later, through her own attorney, Danielle Alonso issued a statement to the media saying that she "voluntarily returned to Texas to be with her family."
A detective from the sheriff's office traveled to Rockport to meet with Danielle Alonso. She was interviewed by the detective but was accompanied by her attorney, something the sheriff's office said is not very common.
"We conducted a thorough investigation and presented it to the district attorney's office," Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson said Wednesday. "This case is inactive. It is not closed."
Hutson said if investigators receive additional information, they could reactivate the case.
Contributing: Pat Reavy
E-mail: ethomas@desnews.com
Recent comments
I hope that EZ on parents is correct. Being from the Bible belt I...
Concerned | June 5, 2009 at 5:49 p.m.
Law Enforcement did the right thing. Parents want the best for the...
Go EZ on parents | June 5, 2009 at 2:59 p.m.
Why did DN not get basic answers to the questions of their...
incomplete story | June 4, 2009 at 8:49 a.m.
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime 1:11 a.m.
- UVU beats SUU; USU wins big 12:57 a.m.
- BYU spikers end season with a loss 12:55 a.m.
- Iverson may be headed to 76ers 12:34 a.m.
- Credit Coug defense for win 12:33 a.m.
- Aggies blow away T-birds 12:32 a.m.
- Mo steals show in Cavaliers' victory 12:31 a.m.
- Editorial: Facilitate Big Brother? 12:22 a.m.
- Mom befriends wife of PTSD vet 12:21 a.m.
- Political clash over U.S. debt 12:21 a.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- BYU is champion of the state
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Idaho woman dies after fall
- Woods, wife unavailable for interview
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Man dies in dirt bike crash
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
396 - Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
150 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
115 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
88 - Hall's legacy measured today
75 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73 - Letters: C02 causes warming
70
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
watch out for next year for sure, the negatives are just closet (and...
And something else, I generally follow players from the state schools when...
I could care less that Max Hall said what he did. The feeling is mutual BYU...
Dear Max, probably could have done without that comment. Probably would've...
As a Utah fan, let me first say congratulations to Max Hall, the Cougars, and...
Geno's and Pat's are good.. but, they are mostly for tourists, the real...
(You even got a middle initial... how's that for 'ya Max) It's nice to see...
Even today, I still cannot get enough of this movie or Charles Gitonga Maina....
...disappointed with Max Hall's comments that he hates everything about UofU....
Over the last few days I read comments of people complaining about tasteless...


