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Araceli Bravo, 45

British Columbia has finally gotten around to arresting Araceli Bravo, the 45 year old mother of Ashley Gonis, for the illegal parental abduction of her daughter in violation of a Quebec family law law court’s orders. Nearly 1.5 months after Ashley ran away from her mother and called 911 from a train station and reported her mother was abusing her, BC law enforcement was finally satisfied that the Quebec arrest warrant issued months earlier had been extended to an all-Canada warrant.

Bravo had reportedly been in hiding since a previous court date in BC family law court. It appears her BC lawyer was not aware of the arrest warrant being extended to all of Canada until after being contacted by reporters on May 25. Canadian media reports are vague as to whether Bravo turned herself in to police or they captured her without her cooperation.

Bravo Claims She Was Getting Child Support from BC Government

Bravo maintains that she wasn’t hiding from the government and that the BC government continued to send her child support checks:

(from Montreal woman arrested amid custody battle)

In a recent interview before police announced the extension of the arrest warrant, Bravo told The Canadian Press she didn’t know she was a fugitive in Quebec until she read about it in the news.

“When I came to Vancouver, I never hid from the government,” Bravo said. “I did my income taxes last year and this year as well.

“The government was sending me my child cheque.”

When notified about the Quebec-only warrant, she said she would respect any order from authorities.

“All I can do is take advice from my attorneys,” said Bravo, who wasn’t immediately available Monday.

Bravo believes Ashley ran away April 10 because the girl was upset she wasn’t allowed to wear certain clothes to school, including a T-shirt with the word “virgin” printed on it.

“In her frustration about me for not letting her wear the outfit, she ran away,” she said.

“She found herself lost and called the police.”

The mother said she realized something was wrong when Ashley didn’t return home from school at her usual time.

She contacted the girl’s school and was told by staff that her daughter never showed up for class that day.

“When I found out, I got very afraid,” Bravo said.

Bravo said she moved from Montreal to Vancouver with her daughter in 2007.

This obviously raises questions about why British Columbia would be doling out child support money to a wanted criminal. Don’t they even check to see if the child is legally residing with the payee of the checks? Or is Bravo fabricating her claims? Inquiring Canadian taxpayers would like to know just how many illegally abducted children they are paying to support.

BC Government Still Won’t Allow Ashley to See Her Father

Ashley Gonis

Poor 10-year-old Ashley continues to be without either of her parents while living in the custody of “youth protection”. When will she be reunited with her father? Frank Gonis traveled to Vancouver in April 2009 after Ashley turned up due to her 911 call, but BC authorities would not let him see her. He’s been awarded legal custody by a Quebec court. Why won’t BC transfer custody to her father, especially now that her mother has been arrested?

(from Arrest warrant issued for mom of missing girl)

After police found Ashley, Gonis traveled to Vancouver with the hope of bringing her back to Montreal with him.

But he returned home a few days later without the girl. He said he hasn’t seen or spoken to Ashley since before she went to B.C.

“I don’t care whether they bring her (mother) back,” Gonis said Monday.

“I just want to get my daughter back – that’s my main concern.”

Last month, Gonis said he took the boxes containing his daughter’s stuffed animals and dolls out of storage so he could set up her room just the way she left it the last time she stayed with him – about three years ago.

He alleges that Bravo didn’t respect custody orders by Quebec courts and that she brainwashed Ashley into fearing him.

Bravo Makes Incredible Claim that Father Didn’t Want to See Daughter

There was a years-long child custody battle in Quebec courts, but Bravo insists that the father, her ex-boyfriend Frank Gonis, didn’t even want to see his daughter.

(from Arrest warrant issued for mom of missing girl)

But the mother alleges the girl has never lived with Gonis because, she says, she’s had full custody of the child since she was born.

Bravo said Gonis, her ex-boyfriend, refused several offers to see the girl.

“I just want the truth to be told,” she said.

She left Montreal without alerting authorities, prompting police to issue a Quebec-wide arrest warrant for her a few months later.

If Frank Gonis didn’t want to see Ashley, then why would he have been engaged in an extended and expensive child custody battle? It makes no sense. Given the information available to date, Bravo’s story does not appear credible.

BC Government is Continuing Ashley’s Tragedy — But Why?

Perhaps the worst of the recent history of this tragedy is that Ashley is now being deprived of her entire family. BC needs to get its act together and reunite this daughter with her father sooner rather than later, especially now that her mother is out of the picture due to her arrest. Anything short of this just makes us wonder whether the US Title IV-D federal government funded child abduction mentality has spread to Canada, too.

Further Reading

Ashley Gonis to Return to Montreal, Placed in Foster Care

Abducted Ashley Gonis Still Can’t See Her Father

Police allege mom Araceli Bravo abducted daughter

Montreal woman arrested amid custody battle

Police allege mom Araceli Bravo abducted daughter

Arrest warrant issued for mom of missing girl

Runaway girl’s mom willing to turn self in: Wanted on Canada-wide warrant in abduction

Mother of “missing” 10-year-old girl arrested in B.C.