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