PULLMAN, Wash. — Federal charges have been filed against a Moscow father suspected of kidnapping his two-year-old daughter earlier this month.
An international parental kidnapping charge was filed against Aaron Aung in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington.
According to court documents, Aung and his daughter's mother, Samara Harmon, did a custody exchange of their two-year-old daughter in late May, with Aung scheduled to return his daughter to his daughter's mom on June 3 in Whitman County.
On the day of the exchange, court documents say Aung's fiancée, Nadia Cole, was reported missing after leaving the SeaTac Airport while leaving on a family trip. Cole's parents learned she was seen walking out of the airport alone, and Cole could not be found.
According to court documents, the Pullman Police Department reached out to Aung's parents to try and find Cole. His parents told investigators Aung took his daughter on a fishing trip to Montana, not knowing where Aung was or if Cole was with him.
Court documents say Harmon arrived at the Pullman Police Department for the scheduled custody exchange, and Aung and his daughter did not appear and the exchange didn't happen. Aung's parents reported him as missing, and court documents say Harmon did not speak with Aung leading up to their custody exchange.
Court documents say Harmon reported that Aung had been abusive and was not paying child support. Court documents also say Harmon was in the process of criminally charging Aung for not paying child support.
According to court documents, investigators later learned that Aung was driving to Mexico with his two-year-old daughter and Cole. Aung, his daughter and Cole were found in Mexico on July 4. Cole returned to the United States and Aung and his daughter were still in Mexico.
Three days later, Mexican officials took Aung and his daughter to the port of entry near Nogales, Arizona, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection took custody of Aung and his daughter.
Aung was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on his outstanding felony warrant out of Whitman County for first-degree custodial interference.