August 7, 2015
Source: wcvb.com
Bruna Gomes charged with parental kidnapping
An Abington mother charged with pepper-spraying her children’s babysitter and fleeing with the children faced charges of parental kidnapping Friday.
Police say 33-year-old Bruna Gomes was arrested on Cape Cod Thursday several hours after she took the children from the Abington apartment of her children’s father.
Bruna Gomes, 33, was arrested Thursday after she forced her way into an apartment and kidnapped her two children, prompting officials to issue an Amber Alert, police said.
“They (the children) saw the whole thing,” the father’s attorney Mike Szymanski said. “They protested. They didn’t want it to happen.”
“I don’t know why she did this because we are going to court about the kids,” said Bruno Coelho, the children’s father.
Coelho told police Gomes knocked on the door and said, “Abington police, open the door.”
After Gomes allegedly assaulted the babysitter and fled with the children, Nathalia Coelho, 7, and Nathan Coelho, 8, an Amber Alert was issued.
“I don’t want to talk about all this stuff with the kids, because (they are) too young,” Coelho said. “But they want to know, they’ve asked me a lot about the babysitter.”
Gomes was arrested at a Yarmouth motel hours later after a teen said he noticed the Amber Alert on his cellphone and spotted a vehicle matching the description.
Andrea Silva, a friend of Gomes, said the couple is engaged in a bitter custody battle and feared the children would be sent back to Brazil, their native country.
“I feel for her. She did something without thinking. She’s a nice person,” said Silva.
The children were reunited with their father Thursday night. Gomes was ordered held on $25,000 bail and to surrender her passport.
Follow our updates on Twitter and Facebook
ABP World Group™ Risk Management
