A felony charge of child stealing/concealment and a misdemeanor count of false report of an emergency were filed against Jeffery Chao, according to the office of DA George Gascón.
Chao, 40, was arrested on Friday, just days after the supposedly missing girl, Alison Chao, turned up outside ABC7 in Glendale after she was spotted by a passing driver.
Chao was expected to be arraigned Tuesday.
The DA’s office says Chao falsely reported his daughter missing on July 16 and concealed her whereabouts as law enforcement and the community mounted an intense search.
The DA says he also “induced others, including a minor, to participate in the commission of the offense of child stealing/concealment.”
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
“Falsely reporting a child as missing not only violates the law but also diverts critical law enforcement resources away from other serious matters,” Gascón said in a written statement. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and we will hold the responsible individual accountable for his actions.”
Alison’s parents, Jeffery and Annie Chao, are in the midst of a divorce and child-custody battle, with the mother recently awarded full custody of the teen.
Alison’s mother released a lengthy statement Friday, saying she’s been estranged from Jeffery for more than a year and that he drove a wedge between her and her daughter.
