Authorities search for missing 3-year-old Palm Coast boy: Nathaniel Fons/FOUND IN NEW YORK!!/Grandparents sought custody, but denied/Judge sends back to Florida in foster care/Grandparents granted temporary custody

Authorities are searching this morning for a missing and endangered 3-year-old Flagler County boy who disappeared with two adults late Sunday.

Flagler County deputies believe Nathaniel Fonz may be with Eleanor Black, 29, and William S. Scott, 32, and Black's two young daughters. Black and Scott are friends with Nathaniel's mother, deputies said.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an alert for the missing Palm Coast boy this morning. An alert was not issued for the two girls.

Nathaniel was last seen wearing a black Pittsburgh Steelers jersey with black and white shorts and black, white and red sneakers, authorities said. The group was last seen in the 9100 block of Bay Meadows Road in Jacksonville.

Flagler County officials say Fonz's mother Erin Jessie Comeau, 26, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was arrested Sunday on a charge of giving counterfeit bills to a store clerk.

Comeau was riding in a stolen recreation vehicle when she was pulled over on Palm Coast Parkway and arrested, deputies said.

The RV was reported stolen from New York. Deputies also arrested Christopher Michael Brandstter-Howell.

Comeau told deputies they were traveling with two friends — Black and Scott, both are suspects in a counterfeiting operation, according to deputies.

Deputies ask anyone with information about the missing child to contact the Flagler County Sheriff's Office at 386-313-4911.

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No amber alert? This does not make sense. An alert was issued for the boy but not the two young daughters?

FlaglerLive | April 19, 2010


Natahaniel Fons, 3, was last seen with Eleanor Black, 29, and William S. Scott, 32.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an alert this morning for 3-year-old Nathaniel Fons of Maryland, after the boy’s bother was arrested and jailed in Flagler County on counterfeit charges. The boy was last seen in Jacksonville with Eleanor Black, 29, and William S. Scott, 32, according to FDLE.


Comeau, the missing boy's mother, is under arrest. (FCSO photo)

The child’s mother and a companion were arrested Sunday evening in Palm Coast, on charges of operating a counterfeit money operation. The mother of Nathaniel James Fons was arrested around 5:50 p.m. by Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies after a convenience store clerk reported receiving a counterfeit $100 bill. The clerk was able to give a description of the recreational vehicle the suspects were driving, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Deputies stopped the RV, which was reported stolen out of New York, on Palm Coast Parkway, and arrested Erin Jessie Comeau, 26, of Aberdeen, Maryland, and Christopher Michael Brandstter-Howell, 21.

Comeau told deputies the two were traveling with Black and Scott, who are suspects in the counterfeiting operation. Black and Scott have two daughters, whose ages are not known, according to Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming. Nathaniel was traveling with Black and Scott. The couple and the children were not found at a Jacksonville hotel when their 1994 blue Chevy Suburban was located in the hotel’s parking lot by Duvall County deputies.

Initially, Fleming said, Nathaniel’s mother told detectives in Flagler County that she was comfortable with Black and Scott keeping her child. “Then,” Fleming said, “she decides this morning that she’s no longer comfortable with her son being with them.” Comeau changed her mind when she was told that Black and Scott had fled their hotel. It was at that point that FDLE issued the missing-child report.

Initial reports described the child as being from Palm Coast. That’s not the case. Mother and child are from Maryland. They were merely traveling through Palm Coast when Comeau was arrested.

Nathaniel Fons is described as being two-feet, four inches tall and weighing 28 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey (like this, except for the number), black and white shorts and black, white and red sneakers, according to FDLE. He was last seen last night with Black and Scott around the 9100 block of Bay Meadows Road in Jacksonville (see map).
Black, 26, is a white female with brown hair and brown eyes. Williams is a 21-year-old white, male with brown hair and brown eyes.

“I put a plea out to these people to return the child before we have to charge them,” Fleming said. “Right now they’re not charged. If they come back with the child, we’re fine.” Fleming specified that Black and Scott wouldn’t be charged with kidnapping if they return the child. They do, however, face possible counterfeit charges.

The Sheriff’s office is trying to locate a picture of Nathaniel. If you have information on the missing boy, call the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386/313-4911.

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NEW YORK— New York City investigators identified a couple believed to have ditched a toddler at St. Patrick's Cathedral, days after he was reported missing in Florida.

Three-year-old Nathaniel Fons was not harmed. He was in the custody of the Administration for Children's Services on Wednesday.

Police identified the couple, suspected of being involved in a counterfeiting operation in Florida, through surveillance footage. They have not been located.

A security guard found Nathaniel at the famed Manhattan cathedral around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. A note in his hand gave his mother's name and the name and number of a Florida detective.

Nathaniel was reported missing Monday. His mother had been arrested on counterfeiting charges in Flagler County, about 25 miles north of Daytona Beach. The couple is believed to be friends of hers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) _ New York City investigators say a couple wanted on counterfeiting charges in Florida are believed to have abandoned a toddler from that state at St. Patrick's Cathedral days after he was reported missing.

Three-year-old Nathaniel Fons was not harmed. He was in the custody of child welfare officials Wednesday.

Police identified 29-year-old Eleanor Black and 32-year-old William Scott through surveillance footage. They are still at large.

A security guard found Nathaniel at the famed Manhattan cathedral around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. A note in his hand gave his mother's name and the name and number of a Florida detective.

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My heart goes out to this little 3-year-old! My grandson is 3 and I can't imagine him being left alone in New York! He must have been terrified! Anybody could have grabbed him!

...But at least he's OK!! (I didn't have an Edit button to add this this to the above post...Who stole my Edit button!? :scratch:

lisette wrote:...But at least he's OK!! (I didn't have an Edit button to add this this to the above post...Who stole my Edit button!? :scratch:

You don't have an edit button?

Me either.

LM, I used to be able to go back and edit my posts, but there is no edit option now...

...just Quote and Delete...

lisette wrote:...But at least he's OK!! (I didn't have an Edit button to add this this to the above post...Who stole my Edit button!? :scratch:

I went ahead and changed the title. I have no idea why you wouldn't have an edit button. We will most definitely look into this! We have NOT turned into our first home. :idk:

I too couldn't edit a post earlier but could only delete my post.. sorry for going off topic, but I seriously thought I was the only one having these issues.

What if the little guy had dropped the note in his HAND. It should have been pinned to his shirt. I hope Dept of Social Services takes proper care of Nathaniel and he does not go thru all of this, to then fall thru the cracks.

It doesn't sound like being with his parents is the best environment for him if they are involved in this kind of stuff...but we know how that goes. Hopefully this was a wake-up call for his parents and they'll get their act together for him. He must be terribly scared and confused about what is going on...Or this may be the kind of life he is used to...I just pray that he'll be placed in a safe, loving, secure situation!

Grandparents finally see abandoned boy, Nathan Fons, Children's Services to determine placement

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK AND RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Saturday, April 24th 2010, 4:00 AM

Grandparents eager to reunite with abandoned St. Pat's boy 'Can't wait to see him'
Fla. boy left at St. Patrick's after mom got busted
The Florida toddler abandoned at St. Patrick's Cathedral was reunited with his overjoyed grandparents Friday - but his future remains unclear.

Three-year-old Nathan Fons met privately with Don and Frieda Fons inside a lower Manhattan office building.

A beaming Frieda Fons strode into the William St. tower with her husband, carrying a teddy bear and a specific wish.

"We are very excited. We are hoping to come out with Nate," said Frieda Fons, who raised the boy for more than two years at their home in Land O'Lakes, outside Tampa.

That may not happen for several days, officials said. "He will remain safely in the city's care for the time being," said Sharman Stein, a spokeswoman for the city Administration for Children's Services.

"We have the responsibility of carefully assessing the safest placement for Nathaniel, and that may take some time," Stein said.

A city official said authorities were still in the process of vetting the family.

The case is particularly complicated because Nathan's parents are in jail and his grandparents have not seen him in a year.

"There are all of these moving parts to unravel," a source said.

Nathan's bizarre ordeal was set in motion Sunday.

That evening, his mother, Erin Comeau, was arrested outside of Daytona Beach on charges of running a counterfeit money scam and driving a stolen car.

At the time, Nathan was with two people suspected of participating in Comeau's fraud, Eleanor Black and William Scott.

The couple's vehicle was found abandoned hours later, and cops issued an Amber Alert.

On Tuesday, Black walked into the Fifth Ave. cathedral and asked to see a priest.

A guard directed her to the parish house. Moments later, Nathan appeared alone, and Black had vanished.

Cops are still hunting for Black, 29, and Scott, 32. The couple, who are believed to have skipped town, are facing child endangerment charges.

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Grandparents of abandoned toddler heading to court

NEW YORK (AP) — The grandparents of the toddler who was abandoned at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral are heading to family court.

Donald and Frieda Fons are hoping to get custody of 3-year-old Nathaniel Fons.

Ryan Fons, the boy's uncle, says he is unsure whether custody will be decided at Monday's hearing.

He said his parents also plan to go to the cathedral on Monday to thank the guards who found Nathaniel.

The toddler was found alone at the church last Tuesday with a note in his hand bearing the name of a detective in Florida.

Authorities say he was left there by a couple who had been traveling with the boy after his mother was arrested on counterfeiting charges.

The Fonses, of Land O' Lakes, Fla., outside Tampa, had a supervised visit with Nathaniel on Friday.

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court/nbVAHiBDrUKfVXQ-prnJig.cspx

Judge's ruling sends Nathaniel Fons, abandoned at St. Patrick's Cathedral, back home to Florida

BY RICH SCHAPIRO
Originally Published:Tuesday, April 27th 2010, 6:11 PM
Updated: Tuesday, April 27th 2010, 6:11 PM


Jim Stem
Don and Frieda Fons, grandparents of Nathaniel, were optimistic upon hearing the judge's ruling Tuesday to send the tot back home to Florida.

Nathaniel Fons, 3, was abandoned at St. Patrick's Cathedral April 20 by two of his mother's friends.

Grandparents of tot abandoned in St. Pat's must wait longer for custody hearing
Children's Services to determine placement for Nate Fons

Nathaniel Fons is going home - but not with his grandparents.

A Manhattan Family Court judge ruled Tuesday that the 3-year-old boy abandoned at St.Patrick's Cathedral should be returned to his native Florida while custody issues are resolved.

"This child belongs in Florida," Judge Jody Adams said. "His parents are in Florida. He's lived in Florida."

Within days, Nathaniel will be escorted south by city child welfare workers and placed in the care of the Flagler County Social Services Department.

His paternal grandparents, who flew from Tampa to New York in the hope of gaining custody of him, took the decision in stride.

"It's better than nothing," Frieda Fons told her husband, Don, inside the courtroom.

"He's closer," Don replied.

But whether the Fonses are closer to getting custody of Nathaniel remains unclear.

New York City welfare officials revealed in court that the boy's mother, Erin Comeau, who was arrested on counterfeiting charges in Florida on April 18, wants her mother to have temporary custody of him.

Comeau's mom, Julie Singleton of Maryland, spoke with city officials by phone yesterday.

"She felt that she had an obligation to her grandson and she wanted to fulfill it," said Eric Sanford of the city Administration for Children's Services.

Nathaniel was ditched at the famed cathedral April 20 by two of his mom's pals, Eleanor Black and William Scott, who then skipped town. The couple has since been in touch with city officials, and Black met with authorities yesterday, sources said. Neither has been charged. Nathaniel's father, William Fons, is jailed in Florida.

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NY officials: Woman in ditched boy case turns up
BY COLLEEN LONG AND JENNIFER PELTZ

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITERS

NEW YORK -- Law enforcement officials say a woman who left a boy at St. Patrick's Cathedral has met with prosecutors.
Two officials with knowledge of the investigation say Eleanor Black met with prosecutors Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. Officials say she fled after dropping off Nathaniel Fons. The district attorney's office is still investigating.
Nathaniel was found by security guards last Tuesday. Officials say Black and William Scott dropped him off there after they traveled with him up to New York. They are friends of Nathaniel's mother who was arrested in a separate car last week in Florida on counterfeit charges.
The boy is temporarily in foster care.


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I would be moving to Florida at all cost if I was these Grandparents. Why is the law so blind when it comes to parental rights?

Honestly, I think they just do this in the high profile cases that catch the media's attention. DFC/CPS decides they can't screw it up so they make everything extra rigorous. Because in most cases what we see is that DFC/CPS can't wait to find a family member without a warrant or record that will take the child(ren) and they hand them right over without a good check of who they are giving them to.

Abandoned Boy To Remain With Grandparents


POSTED: 2:38 pm EDT April 30, 2010
UPDATED: 7:36 pm EDT April 30, 2010

BUNNELL, Fla. --

A boy who was found abandoned in New York City after disappearing from Flagler County will remain with his paternal grandparents in Florida.
A Flagler County judge ruled on Friday that Nathaniel Fons, 3, should stay with his grandparents in Pasco County.
Investigators said the boy was left at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral by friends of Nathaniel's mother after she was jailed on counterfeiting charges.
Erin Comeau saw her son on Friday for the first time in nearly two weeks. She smiled as she walked into the courtroom and mouthed the words, "I love you."
Nathaniel's local dependency attorney said she feels sympathy for the boy.
"He has been all over the place (and) he's only 3 years old," Lisa Dawson said. "I'm sure he has been traumatized. We're happy he's with family. That's our goal."
Paternal grandparents Donald and Frieda Fons will temporarily care for Nathaniel in their Land O' Lakes home while his mother remains jailed.
Nathaniel's father, William Fons, who joined the proceedings by phone, is in custody in Hillsborough County.
The judge said permanent placement for Nathaniel is still up in the air. First, the courts want to know how Nathaniel became a lost boy.
"We're going to have another hearing on June 14, which is an arraignment hearing and the issues that brought Nathaniel into custody are going to be addressed at that time," Dawson said.
The Flagler County attorney representing Nathaniel in the dependency case said it won't be in the county for long. She said she's working to have it moved to Pasco County, where the boy's grandparents live and where Nathaniel is now being sheltered.

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BUNNELL -- Nathaniel Fons, 3, saw his mother for the first time Friday since she was arrested nearly two weeks ago for passing counterfeit money in Flagler County.

During that time, he was driven to New York City and abandoned in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Erin Comeau was first to enter Judge Raul Zambrano's courtroom.

She then saw her son Nathaniel.

Her son was taken by a couple traveling with her, who dropped Nathaniel off at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The reason for this hearing was to see if Nathaniel could stay with his grandparents, Donald and Frieda Fons.

It was something Comeau said was OK with her, especially if she was going to be in a Florida jail cell for some time.

It's also something Nathaniel's father, Donald and Frieda's son, wanted. He joined the hearing via telephone because he, too, is in jail in Pasco County.

After a short hearing, Zambrano agreed.

"OK, so the placement will remain with the grandparents," Zambrano said.

For the first time in weeks, Nathaniel is in a safe, stable environment.

"That's our primary concern, that he be safe and stable,” said Lisa Dawson, an attorney for the Department of Children and Families. “All the other issues will work themselves out over time."

In a statement written shortly after her arrest, Comeau said she had no intention of giving up her parental rights and did not want to lose her son.

However, Dawson hinted she may have to fight for those rights considering all that has happened to Nathaniel.

"He's been all over the place,” Dawson said. “He's only three years old. I'm sure he's been traumatized so we're happy he's with family. That's our goal."

As Comeau heads back to jail, Nathaniel will go home with his grandparents for now.

The next hearing in this case, an arraignment, is scheduled for June 14.

At the hearing, we should learn what hurdles Comeau will have ahead of her to regain custody of Nathaniel.

It will be held in Flagler County, but attorneys said they're looking to eventually move this case closer to Pasco County.

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