A New Rochelle boy who had been missing for more than a year after, authorities say, his father took him amid a custody battle is back with his mother, and his father is in handcuffs. Detectives tracked the pair to the Bronx, where the father was arrested Monday. Police say the child was checked out by medical staff, found to be in good health, and then brought to family court to be placed with his mother.
According to New Rochelle police, 54-year-old Dwight Richards was taken into custody Monday following a lengthy missing-child investigation that began when the boy was reported missing during a custody proceeding in March 2025. Detectives developed leads that pointed to the Bronx, where officers picked Richards up on a Family Court warrant. He was later arrested on a Westchester County warrant charging second-degree criminal contempt. After his arrest, Richards helped facilitate the boy’s return to the New Rochelle Police Department, and the child was reunited with his mother at family court, according to Daily Voice.
The New Rochelle Police Department had first sounded the alarm on May 21 with a missing-child alert, saying King Richards had been taken by his father during a court-related custody proceeding and that the boy’s mother had been granted full custody. The department asked the public to share tips, and local outlets, including News 12 Westchester, highlighted the renewed search as investigators chased down leads.
How Detectives Tracked Him Down
Investigators say information developed during the investigation placed Richards in the Bronx, where officers served him with a Family Court warrant, followed by a Westchester County warrant for second-degree criminal contempt. Police say Richards then cooperated in returning the child to New Rochelle. Authorities have not revealed what specific investigative tools were used or whether other agencies played a role in the arrest.
Charges And Next Steps
Authorities say Richards was charged with violating a Family Court warrant and with second-degree criminal contempt under a Westchester County warrant, and he will move through the county’s court system. Court records and any formal filings were not immediately available to the public, and police did not release booking information or bail details at the time of the announcement.
Police say the child was examined by medical personnel and found to be in good health before being brought to New Rochelle Family Court and reunited with his mother, per the department’s statement. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call the New Rochelle Police Department at 914-654-2300, as noted in the missing-child alert.
