A 71-year-old Lancaster father accused of kidnapping his own two children has pleaded not guilty to all charges after his arrest warrant was quashed, setting up a court fight over what happened in the Antelope Valley this past summer. David Sukonick now faces several misdemeanor counts, including child stealing, and is due back in court in December.
The case began in July, when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a be-on-the-lookout alert for Sukonick and his two children, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department asked the public for help locating two children it described as missing and at risk, according to KTLA. Deputies said there was concern for the children’s well-being and asked for the public’s help, per the same report.
Solomon and Marozhina Sukonick were last seen around 8 p.m. near the 1000 block of West Avenue J-8 in Lancaster after their father picked them up, according to Patch. Authorities said the three were last seen traveling in a black 2011 Lincoln Town Car bearing the California license plate SOLOYST, per ABC7’s earlier report on the search. Reports describing the children’s ages have varied — some accounts referred to both as 9-year-olds, while Sukonick told ABC7 he was falsely accused of abusing and mistreating his 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
Removal Order and Allegations of Fleeing
According to the sheriff’s department, the Department of Children and Family Services had a removal order for the children at the time. Deputies alleged that Sukonick refused to comply with that order, that he assaulted a social worker, and that he then fled with the children. Sukonick has denied wrongdoing.
DCFS said it cannot disclose its involvement with families, a standard confidentiality position the agency maintains in cases involving children. The children were reported located on Aug. 3, according to MyNewsLA, which described them as two at-risk 9-year-olds believed to have been abducted by their father.
Attorney Pushes Back on the Allegations
Sukonick’s attorney, Mitchell Krems, has disputed the allegations against his client. Krems said Sukonick did not abduct or abscond with the children and described him as a great dad whose kids had been with him for years. He said the children had always been safe and had no injuries in Sukonick’s care, and that they had been happy while with him.
As of Wednesday, Sukonick’s arrest warrant had been quashed, the station’s report noted. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is now fighting to regain custody of his children from DCFS, with his case set to continue in December.
What the Charges Could Mean
Sukonick faces several misdemeanor counts, including child stealing. Under California Penal Code section 278, a person without a right to custody who maliciously takes, entices away, keeps, withholds, or conceals a child with intent to detain or conceal that child from a lawful custodian can face county jail time of up to one year along with a fine, according to California Legislative Information. How the quashed warrant affects the pending charges, and what becomes of the custody dispute, remains to be seen as the case moves toward its December court date.
